Royal Life Saving Society spotlights successful National Water Safety Summit 2022

August 17, 2022

Belinda Lawton

The recently held National Water Safety Summit 2022 led by Royal Life Saving Society Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia attracted more than 200 water safety experts from across Australia and New Zealand - coming together to refocus attention on drowning prevention and the joy of swimming.

The Summit was designed around the key at-risk groups identified in the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030.

Over two days of intense discussion, the key themes that emerged were prevention, collaboration, co-design, and the value of sharing stories. Across the conference, many smaller organisations had the opportunity to learn from each other and share their experiences.

During the Summit, the new Australian Water Safety Council website was unveiled with a new tool for community groups to upload their activities on an interactive map. The new design is in response to the bloom of locally based community groups who have responded to the need for tailored water safety solutions.

These included representatives from community programs, often formed in response to drowning deaths within specific communities. The way the programs are tailored differs, but at their core every program is about empowering people to enjoy the water safely.

One of the most inspiring presentations came from Gulidjan girl Piper Stewart, who at just 12 founded the Bambigi Indigenous swimming program after recognising many of her Indigenous peers hadn’t learned to swim because of financial barriers. Bambigi means "to swim" in Wiradjuri, Griffith's traditional Aboriginal language. More than 300 children from the region around Griffith in NSW have now benefited from the program.

Royal Life Saving note the Summit’s sombre moments during which attendees heard from families and friends who had lost loved ones to drowning, both in immediately fatal incidents, and non-fatal drowning where children survived the initial incident with lifelong disability and significantly shorted lifespan.

The program also focused on accessibility and heard about some terrific initiatives to make safe places to swim accessible to everyone, with investment into harbour and river swimming locations.

The aquatic industry was well represented, with discussions about their social, economic and health benefits and their role as hubs for communities. There are more than 1300 publicly-owned aquatic facilities in Australia contributing to physical activity levels and water safety education.

Core issues of concern raised included the impacts of COVID on children learning to swim, and the ongoing workforce pressures after many young people were forced to leave the industry over the past two years. Swim schools are reporting significant wait times for learn-to-swim classes, as they struggle to recruit swimming and water safety teachers.

It was also an opportunity for those in government with responsibility for swimming and water safety to come together and discuss how different states and territories are tackling the problem of getting children who missed out during COVID back into water safety.

Researchers from leading universities and the peak water safety bodies presented on new and ongoing research projects, including looking at the factors which disrupted active supervision of children, leading to drowning deaths.

Chair of the Australian Water Safety Council, Justin Scarr thanked all the water safety experts who attended, including researchers, practitioners, people with lived experience, government, aquatic industry and not-for-profit organisations.

A report summarising the ideas discussed and emerging areas of collaboration and research will be released in the coming weeks.

Access the new Australian Water Safety Council website

Access key at-risk groups identified in the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030

More information on Bambigi Indigenous swimming program

ImageS: Day 2 of the National Water Safety Summit. With the theme of Day 2 - Challenges and opportunities for water safety and drowning prevention, the focus was on rural and regional Australia (top) and the Summit saw the unveiling of the new Australian Water Safety Council website (below).

About the author

Belinda Lawton

National Manager - Strategic Communications and Partnerships, Royal Life Saving Society - Australia

A communications professional focused on the not-for-profit and government sectors, with a specific interest in international development. I have extensive experience in government relations and journalism.

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