Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Thursday 1 December is National Water Safety Day. As we come up on the holiday period over summer, it's essential that we keep water safety in mind. Between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, 339 people lost their lives to drowning in Australia. There's an even higher risk during the holiday period when many of us will be spending time in the water trying to escape the heat.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia estimated that more than 40 per cent of Australian children leave primary school unable to achieve the national swimming and water safety benchmarks for the age of 12 years. A lack of swimming skills and water safety knowledge is, of course, a major risk factor in drowning. The pandemic has further exacerbated this issue with many children's swim education being disrupted over the last two years. This is a serious risk to the safety of children who will be spending increasing amounts of time participating in aquatic activities over the summer holidays. It is therefore important to reaffirm the importance of preparation and vigilance when it comes to water safety and to take this Thursday as an opportunity to reflect on your family's preparedness to be spending time at the beach or in the pool.

However, it's not just swimming for leisure that we need to consider on Water Safety Day. Unfortunately, as we continue to see the impact of climate change, we can expect more and more frequent and intense flooding disasters. As my electorate office prepares for the potential of more catastrophic floods in our community, I want to urge everyone to remember: if it's flooded, forget it; never try and rescue a flooded item; and don't underestimate the dangers of flash flooding. All levels of government have to play a role in helping to prevent drowning tragedies. At a council level, it's important that all relevant decision-makers treat water safety as the serious issue that it is and ensure that all signage is visible and clear. Also of extreme importance is making sure that multilingual information is available, especially for those visiting from overseas where there is not always consistency in symbols which represent water safety dangers. Every drowning is a tragedy that we should aim to prevent.

I want to acknowledge the incredible work of Surf Life Saving Australia, the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia, and all the incredible organisations and people that contribute to water safety and aquatic rescue. Above all, remember to swim between the flags and never to swim alone. If you can't identify aquatic risks like rips or strong tides, then find a patrolled area to swim rather than risk your own safety. Discuss these issues with your family and ensure that, if you're going to be spending time in the water this holiday season, be prepared, swim in protected areas, don't take risks and never swim alone. If we all commit to these principles, we can ensure a safe and fun summer ahead for everyone.