House debates

Monday, 30 November 2020

Private Members' Business

National Water Safety Day

11:56 am

Photo of Matt ThistlethwaiteMatt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

Tomorrow is of course the first day of summer, the day when Australians think about flocking to our beaches and waterways over the wonderful warm months of our year. It's also the first National Water Safety Day, a day when we highlight awareness of the risks associated with swimming, of the risks of drowning, over the course of the summer months, in particular. It's vitally important that, on this day, we highlight the importance of staying safe and acting responsibly around water.

Australia is of course a nation surrounded by water, and we're blessed with some of the most beautiful and pristine coastlines and waterways of any nation in the world. As the weather warms up, more of us will head to the beaches, the rivers and the pools to cool off and have fun. We love being in and around the water. But unfortunately too many Australians lose their lives in the water each year, particularly in the summer months. Summer is the peak season for drownings in Australia. From 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020, 248 people drowned in Australia. Thirty-nine per cent of those drownings occurred over the three months of summer. We are losing too many young Australians to the water. Royal Life Saving, in its annual drowning report, found that those aged between 25 and 34 years accounted for 17 per cent of the total number of drowning deaths. It's the most of any age group and represents so many lost summers into the future. For the family and friends of those lost to the water, summer will forever be tinged with sadness. The Royal Life Saving report shows that an additional 504 people experienced a non-fatal drowning incident. These are too many close calls that could easily have led to more tragedy.

All drowning deaths are preventable, and one drowning is still too many, but, as a nation, we have made some slight progress to turn the tide on drownings. The drowning report indicates that the total number of drowning deaths over the past year decreased by eight per cent on the previous year. Despite rivers and creeks still being the leading location for drowning deaths, drownings in rivers and creeks decreased by 32 per cent compared to the 10-year average. As we get ready to dive into summer, we know that drownings and accidents in the water can be avoided if we act responsibly and follow the basic water safety rules. I urge all Australians to always swim between the red-and-yellow flags at the beach and obey the instructions of lifesavers. Please don't swim on unpatrolled beaches or swim alone, and never ever take your eye off children when you are around the water—and, of course, alcohol and swimming and/or boating don't mix.

Ahead of National Water Safety Day and the first day of summer, it's also vital that we note that there are too many avoidable drownings that occur when people go rock fishing. Rock fishers should always stay alert to the weather conditions, learn how to swim, choose the safest possible location for fishing, wear the right gear, never ever fish alone and always wear a life jacket. I also encourage all Australians to learn how to swim from a qualified instructor before they enter the water on their own. For all of us who use the waterways regularly, please take the opportunity to learn rescue techniques and resuscitation from organisations like Surf Life Saving Australia by joining your local surf club. I know that there are many members of local surf clubs who are in the parliament who encourage people in their communities to become involved in those clubs.

Our leading water safety authorities, including Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving, play an important role in helping keep Australians safe in and around the water. Their dedicated efforts, including through professional lifeguards, lifesavers and thousands of volunteers contributing millions of hours of patrols each year, make a vital and greatly valued contribution to our nation. Interventions performed by surf lifesavers and lifeguards result in more than 1,300 avoided fatalities and 800 avoided critical injuries each year.

Ahead of National Water Safety Day, I join with my co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving, the member for Mackellar, and other surf lifesavers in this place to call on Australians to play it safe when enjoying your time around the water this summer. If we stay safe together, we can enjoy many more summers into the future.

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