Jason Falinski (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to co-sponsor this motion with my good friend the member for Kingsford Smith, whose love of all things surf lifesaving is well-known, and if it isn't it should be. His time as a nipper was, I'm assured, great and glorious, and he saved many people. To hear him, you would think he saved me at one point. For that he needs to answer to the Australian people, and he will in due course.

I was born in Manly, and it was kind of a prerequisite that to be born in Manly you had to love the ocean. As a kid, summer days were spent swimming in the ocean and rock pools of north Narrabeen. There were feeble attempts at surfing, which continue to this day, and an admiration for those men and women in the red and yellow caps who quietly lined the shore, their protective gaze scanning the water as swimmers bobbed in and out of the waves. As an adult I still enjoy those very same beaches and respect those very same guardians in the red and yellow. As a proud nippers dad, I take great pride in seeing my own daughter getting involved with our local club, giving me an added appreciation of the work surf lifesavers do for our community. I want to go off script and thank Zeke, because occasionally 30 girls will swim so far out into the ocean that you can no longer see them, yet somehow Zeke makes sure that 30 girls come back. I'm sure one day a couple of them will end up in New Zealand, but until then we're okay.

Because McKellar and the northern beaches is one of the best places in the world we have the most surf lifesaving clubs in the world. As a beaches community, water safety is always on our mind. Mums and dads swim in the ocean for exercise and leisure. Boys and girls participate in nippers and their surf rescue certificate for the same reasons. It all stems from the amazing volunteer organisation that is Surf Life Saving Australia. It is an organisation which represents the best in Australia, volunteerism: everyday Australians from all walks of life giving up their time to help others. Often receiving little to no thanks or favour, they do it because they care. The federal government commits millions of dollars each year towards water safety, to organisations including Royal Life Saving Australia, Surf Life Saving Australia, AUSTSWIM and Laurie Lawrence's swimming enterprises. Surf Life Saving Australia is the largest recipient of funding under this program, with $20.8 million over three years. This considerable investment has supported programs and projects to reduce the incidence of coastal water related injury and death, increase community awareness of coastal water safety, and enhance coastal water monitoring and rescue services. I have proudly supported local clubs in my electorate by fighting for further financial support and upgrades to their facilities. This includes $1.9 million to upgrade the dilapidated building for the Longreach Surf Life Saving Club. Peter Kinsey, Rob Pearson, Margaret Pearson and the entire club membership deserve a state-of-the-art clubhouse to support their operations, and that is exactly what they are getting.

Of course, there are many other groups which contribute to keeping us all safe in the water, including swim schools and the first aid organisations educating Australians on how to perform CPR. The federal government is committed to supporting the work of the Australian Water Safety Council, which includes the Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving Society Australia. The council's Australian water safety strategy 2016-20 is coming to a close, and I understand the next strategy is set for release early next year. Royal Life Saving Society Australia is being provided with $10.3 million to enhance monitoring and rescue services in the water, including inland waterways and swimming pools; undertake research and collect data on fatal and non-fatal drownings; develop education and communication tools for various audiences; educate the community and promote safety awareness; and develop and use systems to benchmark national standards. Much can be said about the brave men and women of Surf Life Saving Australia, but, put simply, it displays the best of our community, for it is these volunteers which make our society so great.

See this speech in context