Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery says the council is not looking to opt in to the provisions of the Rock Fishing Safety Act.

Under the legislation, councils commit to the act, which makes the mandatory wearing of life jackets at declared high-risk locations within their local government areas enforceable.

"We're not necessarily wanting to opt in, it's up to [the state government] to administer it, as far as we're concerned," Cr Bradbery said.

He said the council's resources were already stretched, and Honeycomb Rocks was Sydney Water land.

The Illawarra Mercury approached Sydney Water, but the corporation could not provide comment on Saturday.

But Cr Bradbery said the council was "not averse" to discussing other options with the government.

Under the Rock Fishing Safety Act, council rangers, police, NSW Fisheries rangers and National Parks and Wildlife staff are responsible for enforcing the life jacket rule.

It is understood that the NSW government is considering making the wearing of life jackets compulsory for rock fishers across the state.

"Following the tragedy last month at Port Kembla, funding was secured for Wollongong City Council for safety signage and an education and awareness campaign about the importance of wearing a lifejacket while fishing," a government spokesperson said.

Earlier

Since the beginning of the year, seven people have lost their lives rock fishing in NSW - five of them at Hill 60 in Port Kembla alone.

The deaths of the five men - three on January 22 and another two on Friday - have raised questions about what can be done to prevent further tragedies happening at the popular site, which has seen numerous deaths in previous years, too.

Read more: Police, lifesavers urge fishers to wear life jackets after more Hill 60 deaths

Speaking on Saturday after the most recent deaths off Honeycomb Rocks, Superintendent Dean Smith from the Lake Illawarra Police District said he could not comment on banning rock fishing there at that time.

"We will be working closely with council, with Surf Life Saving, with our water police, and others, to make sure that we continually push those safety messages, the education, and the awareness," Superintendent Smith said.

"We have safety devices in place down there, we have signage down there, and we carry out regular patrols through our Marine Area Command and our general duties, to make sure people are doing the right thing."

Read more: Person swept off rocks at Port Kembla where three lost their lives days earlier

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive officer Steven Pearce said he did not think fencing off the area or restricting access was the answer.

"It is about messaging, it is about awareness, but it is about people taking personal responsibility when they attend these locations or go rock fishing. You must wear a life jacket," Mr Pearce said.

In NSW, people who go rock fishing in declared high-risk locations must wear an appropriate life jacket - however, no place south of Sutherland Shire is on the list.

Councils opt-in to make life jackets mandatory in high-risk locations, but it is understood the state government is considering making the policy apply across NSW.

"Following the tragedy last month at Port Kembla, funding was secured for Wollongong City Council for safety signage and an education and awareness campaign about the importance of wearing a lifejacket while fishing," a NSW government spokesperson said.

Mr Pearce said Surf Life Saving did an "enormous amount" of work with the western Sydney to community to spread messages about water safety and that would continue.

"Having five drowning fatalities, all related to rock fishing in the one location, is just that catalyst that we need to do more, and we will be pushing hard more into the culturally and linguistically diverse communities to try get this messaging through in regards to the dangers of rock fishing," he said.

Video captured by off-duty Marine Rescue Port Kembla member Graeme McCrudden of the rescue efforts on Friday

Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery told the Illawarra Mercury he would take the issue up with the Joint Organisation of Councils and look at approaching the relevant government minister about ways to boost the campaign around rock fishing safety.

He also raised the prospect of more information being made available in other languages than English.

Read more: The story of Wollongong's Circus WOW, ordinary women being extraordinary

Cr Bradbery said many people coming to fish were not familiar with this coastline or the ocean generally.

Familiarity with the area is something that Fernando Da Silva, a Warrawong resident who fishes at Port Kembla most days, also believes is a problem.

Mr Da Silva said the only thing he could think that would help would be more signage about the hazards.

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