Blacktown City Council launches Drowning Prevention Strategy

Continuing its commitment to provide a safe environment at its aquatic and recreation centres, Blacktown City Council’s new Drowning Prevention brings together a number of ideas, programs and initiatives into one cohesive driver to achieve the safest possible aquatic environment.

Launched in August, Blacktown City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale stated “drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.

“Council’s Key Venues division is committed to offering award winning aquatic and leisure facilities and services to the community in a safe environment.

“This strategy not only highlights the initiatives that are currently implemented at our venues, but also establishes a clear path for the future goals of Blacktown City Council and Key Venues in maintaining safe environments for our community.”

The strategy reinforces Blacktown Council’s commitment to water safety and preventable drowning through the strategic goals of: education, advocacy and support; partnership and network building; and environment and technology.

As well as developing industry partnerships, initiatives in the strategy include:

• Pip’s Safe Summer - an educational pantomime and comic strip that launched in 2004 as Surfees Safe Summer and will be reinvented while retaining key water safety messages for preschool and school aged children 
• Aqua Learn to Swim - Council’s own learn to swim program launched in 2015 will continue to evolve and grow 
• Exploring the opportunity to expand the Poseidon Drowning Detection System currently in use at Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope to the Council’s other aquatic centres 
• The Key Venues lifejacket initiative - 400 lifejackets made available across the City’s pools for free public use 
• Review of multi-language safety signage as communities evolve 

For more information on Blacktown City Council go to blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Services/Aquatic-and-leisure-centres/Our-pools-and-leisure-centres

Image shows Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale (centre) at the Blacktown Aquatic Centre.