Published 17 April 2025
Royal Life Saving welcomes the announcement that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will deliver a $5 million Multicultural Communities Swimming and Water Safety Program to address the growing number of drownings among Australians born overseas.
The election policy commits to providing up to 100 grants of $50,000 to local governments, swim schools, lifesaving organisations, and educational institutions across Australia to run targeted programs for multicultural communities that lack access to essential water safety education.
Recent data shows that 34% of all drowning deaths in Australia are people born overseas. The program will ensure participants achieve basic national benchmarks including the ability to swim 50 metres and float for two minutes, while learning critical water safety techniques applicable to different aquatic environments.
The policy addresses ongoing concerns about the decline in children's swimming skills, aligns to the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 and is consistent with recommendations adopted at the Multicultural Water Safety Forum, held in Melbourne in June 2024.
In welcoming the commitment, Dr Justin Scarr, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Life Saving Society – Australia said "Removing barriers to accessing swimming and water safety lessons in children and adults from multicultural backgrounds is critical to reducing the tragic impacts of drowning in Australia. Our research shows that creating local partnerships between community groups and local swimming pools leads to many benefits including a boost in swimming skills, increased water safety awareness, and enhanced social connections. This election commitment will be welcomed by community groups and swimming pools across Australia".
More information on the policy is available here:
https://mattthistlethwaite.com.au/albanese-labor-government-delivering-5-million-for-multicultural-communities-swimming-and-water-safety-program/
Information about Royal Life Saving multicultural research and advocacy is available here:
https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/2024/aug/national-workshop-highlights-need-for-tailored-water-safety-solutions-for-multicultural-communities
