Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate all the surf lifesaving clubs, right across my electorate and Australia, that have been keeping people safe over the summer. In particular, I commend the surf lifesaving clubs of Portland, Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Port Campbell for putting on the Shipwreck Coast Swim Series, a series of 1.2-kilometre ocean swims across those wonderful beaches. There were lots and lots of participants who swam. It was a great way to showcase how important it is for people to learn how to swim and to make sure they can continue to get those skills—especially young Australians—to keep themselves safe in the water.

I absolutely commend all the surf lifesaving clubs who donated their volunteers' time and efforts to make sure that the swim series went ahead so successfully, as well as all the volunteers who make those surf lifesaving clubs the great institutions they are. I look forward to continuing to work with them over the coming years to make sure that their facilities are top notch. We will do everything we can to make sure we provide the facilities that those wonderful volunteers need to keep our communities safe right across the summer.

We also had the very memorable Pier to Pub swim event take place in Lorne, in my electorate. Over 4,000 people swam at that famous Pier to Pub swim this year. It's back to pre-COVID levels. Once again, it is wonderful volunteers that put on that event. There are other surf life saving clubs right across Australia who do similar swim events. When it came to the Pier to Pub I was very pleased to be able to do a personal best, and I was very pleased to be able to undertake that swim with one of my very good friends, Pat Burke, with whom I did a lot of training in the ocean in the lead up to the Pier to Pub. Unfortunately for Pat this year, he didn't get the chocolates. But I'm sure he'll be back next year to try to knock me off.

Once again, to all those wonderful surf life saving clubs right across Australia, particularly in my electorate, who are keeping people safe throughout the summer—we've sadly seen an increase in drowning over that time—I say a very big thank you. Thank you for putting on the wonderful Shipwreck Coast Swim Series to Lorne and for a fantastic Pier to Pub again. I'm sure there will be even more swimmers ready to participate next year.