Darryl Brock

Help Build a BrockLoc

A Community-Backed Safety Pilot for the NSW Coastline

Every year, people lose their lives while rock fishing along the Australian coastline.

Many are experienced anglers.

Many are wearing life jackets.

Many never expect the wave that takes them.

Despite years of warning signs, safety campaigns and public awareness programs, people continue to be swept from rock platforms into the ocean.

Each time another tragedy occurs, the public response is often the same:

"Something needs to be done."

For years I asked myself a different question:

"Why is there still no physical safety infrastructure designed specifically for rock fishermen?"

That question became BrockLoc.

What is BrockLoc?

BrockLoc is a fixed coastal safety system designed to help reduce the risk of rock fishermen being swept into the ocean.

At the heart of the system is a constant tension retractable tether that allows a user to move freely while maintaining a physical connection to the rock platform.

The goal is simple:

Help keep people on the rocks instead of in the water.

BrockLoc is not designed to stop people fishing.

It is not designed to eliminate all risk.

It is designed to provide an additional layer of protection in an environment where one unexpected wave can change everything.

Why This Matters

Rock fishing remains one of Australia's most dangerous recreational activities.

Across New South Wales there are currently nine declared high-risk rock fishing local government areas.

Lives continue to be lost every year.

Families continue to lose loved ones.

Emergency services continue to place themselves in danger during rescue and recovery operations.

Current safety measures rely heavily on:

• awareness
• personal responsibility
• weather assessment
• life jackets

All of these are important.

However, none of them physically connect a person to the rock platform itself.

That is the gap BrockLoc is designed to address.

How BrockLoc Began

My name is Darryl Brock.

I am a trade-qualified boilermaker and coded pressure welder with extensive experience in fabrication and engineering projects.

Following repeated rock fishing tragedies along our coastline, I began developing BrockLoc as a practical engineering solution to a problem that continues to take lives every year.

Over the past several years I have invested significant personal time and resources into research, prototype development, engineering investigations, stakeholder discussions, council engagement and grant applications.

In September 2025, BrockLoc was publicly presented at the Hunter Innovation Festival in Newcastle, where the concept received strong interest and positive community feedback.

The project has progressed well beyond the idea stage.

Today there is a pathway to engineer, certify and manufacture the first BrockLoc pilot system.

The remaining challenge is funding.

This Is More Than Just An Idea

To date:

• proof-of-concept prototypes have been developed
• engineering pathways have been identified
• discussions have taken place with councils and stakeholders
• grant applications have been submitted
• public presentations have been conducted
• a qualified contractor capable of engineering and manufacturing the first pilot system has been identified

BrockLoc has reached the point where the first engineered pilot system can be built.

The next step is turning years of development into a real-world installation.

Community Support Matters

This campaign is not only about funding.

It is also about demonstrating community support.

Every supporter becomes part of the BrockLoc Founding Support Register.

This register will help demonstrate public interest in safer coastal infrastructure and support future discussions with councils, government agencies and stakeholders.

Together we can show that the community is prepared to support practical solutions aimed at reducing risk along our coastline.

The Bigger Vision

The first BrockLoc pilot is only the beginning.

The long-term vision is to evaluate whether fixed safety systems like BrockLoc can play a role in reducing risk at high-risk coastal locations throughout NSW and eventually around Australia.

Before that can happen, the first system must be built, installed and tested.

That is what this campaign is about.

Join Us

This campaign is about doing more than talking about the problem.

It is about taking the first practical step toward testing a potential solution.

If you believe safer coastal infrastructure deserves the opportunity to be built, tested and evaluated, I invite you to become part of the BrockLoc Founding Support Register and help build the first BrockLoc pilot system.

Together, we can move beyond saying:

"Something needs to be done."

And start doing something.

Budget Overview

The estimated total cost to build and install the first BrockLoc pilot system is approximately $200,000.

BrockLoc is intended to be public-facing coastal safety infrastructure. The goal is not simply to build a prototype, but to develop an engineered pilot system suitable for real-world deployment, testing and evaluation.

Engineering, Certification & Manufacture

Approx. $150,000

This includes:

• engineering design and certification
• structural calculations and compliance
• manufacturing and fabrication
• marine-grade materials
• constant tension retractable tether integration
• assembly and finishing
• quality assurance and testing

The objective is to produce the first fully engineered BrockLoc pilot system suitable for public use and future evaluation.

Site Assessment, Installation & Deployment

Approx. $50,000

Installing a BrockLoc system involves significantly more than simply anchoring a post to a rock platform.

Every location must be assessed to ensure it can safely withstand the forces that may be applied to the system over its operational life.

Installation costs may include:

• geological engineering assessments
• rock integrity investigations
• anchor and footing design
• structural verification
• transport and logistics
• crane or helicopter access where required
• drilling and anchor installation
• labour and installation crews
• safety management and supervision
• commissioning and deployment

Each coastal location presents unique engineering challenges. Site conditions, accessibility and geological characteristics must all be assessed to ensure the installation is safe, reliable and capable of operating in harsh coastal environments.

Campaign Funding Goal

The total pilot project cost is estimated at approximately $200,000.

This campaign has an initial funding target of $50,000, representing the first stage of funding required to commence engineering, procurement and construction activities.

Every dollar raised above the initial target will continue progressing the project toward completion, installation and real-world deployment.

Why Community Funding?

This campaign is not only about funding the first BrockLoc pilot system.

It is also about demonstrating community support for safer coastal infrastructure and helping create a pathway toward future deployment discussions with councils, government agencies and other stakeholders.

By supporting this campaign, contributors are helping transform years of research, development and planning into a real-world pilot installation.