- Royal Life Saving receives $405,000 over two years for Water Safe WA initiatives
- Support for important water safety awareness initiatives in the lead up to summer
The State Government has provided the Royal Life Saving Society of WA with an important boost heading into the hot summer months, contributing $405,000 in support of their Water Safe WA programs.
Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray announced the funding boost – highlighting its focus on reducing the rate of multicultural, Aboriginal and regional drownings; improving children’s swimming skills; and creating safer places to swim.
Lotterywest is delivering $245,000 of the allocation, with an emphasis on delivering inclusion programs for Aboriginal, multicultural and regional populations, who experience higher rates of drowning.
The funding will provide equipment, support for volunteer safety trainers in regional and remote communities, and the development of water safety plans and programs to meet local needs.
An additional $160,000 from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries will support initiatives including foundation skills for children, youth leadership and personal development pathways, and creating safer aquatic locations.
Approximately one person drowns every fortnight in Western Australia, and every 4.5 days a person is hospitalised by a near-drowning experience.
People are 3.7 times more likely to drown in regional WA than the Perth metropolitan area, and more than 25 per cent of drownings in WA involve people who were born overseas.
As noted by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
“Water safety is always vitally important, but with summer approaching more people will be out and about enjoying WA’s pools and natural waterways. It is timely that we remind everyone how to keep safe.
“Higher-risk groups and young children need special attention to make sure we keep them as safe as possible near water.
“This State Government funding will help fund programs that save lives and reduce the terrible impact drownings and near-drownings have on families and the community at large.”
As noted by Royal Life Saving Society WA Inc CEO Peter Leaversuch:
“As a community the challenge we face is to ensure that every generation acquires water safety skills and that vulnerable sectors of our community; from multicultural backgrounds, disadvantaged circumstances and regional areas, do not miss out.
“Today’s funding announcement is significant. It will result in the delivery of more programs to at-risk communities and greater service integration, it will make a real difference. Royal Life Saving thanks Lotterywest and the WA Government for its support.
“Royal Life Saving is also excited to be pursuing an innovative approach with the impact of our activities extending beyond drowning prevention to delivering a range of health, education, youth engagement and social inclusion outcomes for the at-risk communities we help.”
