Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As one of Australia's 169,000 volunteer surf lifesavers, this issue is one that I confront on a regular basis. I, and my fellow volunteers at Alexandra Headlands Surf Lifesaving Club, have seen too many times the consequences of bad decision-making and a lack of knowledge around water safety. I am grateful to the member for Kingsford Smith for the opportunity to discuss the important issue of water safety this afternoon.

Though always conscious that there is much to do in this space, we should congratulate this government on the efforts it has already made in this area. I have certainly seen some of the impact of this commitment in my own volunteering. Conscious that in many cases it is volunteers embedded in the community that can deliver the best services, between 2013 and 2018 the government has allocated $15 million to the Royal Life Saving Society, Surf Life Saving Australia and AUSTSWIM to help them save lives. These funds are being used to pay for initiatives to improve water safety in homes, pools and rivers, and to teach the necessary knowledge and skills to children in early education.

Of course, in 2016 there were still far too many drownings in Australia, but not one of them happened on a patrolled beach between the red-and-yellow flags. That is thanks to the tireless work of our surf lifesavers. Without all the thousands of men and women, young and old, who don the red and yellow every week these sad statistics would be considerably higher. I have no fewer than seven surf lifesaving clubs in my constituency alone, from Alexandra Headland in the north to Bulcock Beach in the south. The government has rightly recognised what a critical part of our nation's water safety infrastructure these surf lifesaving institutions represent. As such, we allocated an extra $11 million last year to Surf Life Saving Australia. I understand that around $7.5 million of this money is being invested in upskilling volunteers with vital extra training, while more than $1 million is being invested in recruitment.

The government also knows how important rescue equipment is to our lifesavers. We have therefore allocated an additional $25,000 over five years to each and every single surf lifesaving club out of the $8 million Beach Safety Equipment Fund. My own club has recently seen the benefits of this particular policy in Fisher. Yesterday I went down to the surf club for the under-17 to open-age branch championships surf carnival in the middle of an intense Queensland heatwave. It was a very hot day and there were clubs gathered from all around the region.

It was a lot of fun and we learnt a lot about water safety and the competitive spirit that is surf lifesaving. While I was there I took the opportunity to speak to the club's president, Peter Duffy; its general manager, Ashley Robinson; and other members about the grant of $5,000 that our club, like every other, has received this year from the federal government. Peter and Ashley told me that the federal government's grants will allow the club to buy new rescue boards, rescue tubes and oxy-viva gear to name just a few. This kind of equipment can make all the difference in turning around a terrible situation and avoiding tragedy.

Human courage and selflessness can achieve a great deal, and they are the most important things that every lifesaver has at his or her command. But, against the power of the surf, it is not always enough. In a life-or-death situation, these sorts of equipment can be the final difference between life and death. Though much remains to be done, the government should be congratulated for its ongoing commitment to Surf Life Saving Australia and the Royal Life Saving Society, and for their wider efforts in supporting the Australian Water Safety Strategy.

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