National Water Safety Summit 2025 calls for urgent action to reduce the impacts of drowning
Australia’s leading water safety experts are calling for urgent action to reduce drowning at the National Water Safety Summit 2025, held in Sydney to mark World Drowning Prevention Day (Friday 25th July).
The two-day Summit (on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th July), presented by Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia on behalf of the Australian Water Safety Council, brings together more than 230 delegates from across the water safety, health, education and community sectors.
The event aims to review national progress, strengthen alignment, and chart a clear path forward to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy’s target of halving drowning by 2030, with data in past years threatening to reverse long term downward trends.
Outlining the importance of the event, Royal Life Saving Australia Chief Executive, Dr Justin Scarr stated "the National Water Safety Summit offers a critical reflection on where we’ve made progress and where more focus is urgently needed.
“Every life lost to drowning is devastating and preventable. By uniting the expertise of communities, governments, and stakeholders under the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030, we hope to boost the focus on swimming skills, addressing inequities and on collaboration.”
Surf Life Saving Australia Chief Executive, Adam Weir noted "our coastline, beaches, and water activities are part of what makes Australia special, but they also bring significant risk of drowning.
“The National Water Safety Summit 2025 is a rallying point: to align efforts, invest in education and rescue services, and an opportunity to bring the sector together to ensure the right policies, programs and partnerships are in place to reduce drowning now and into the future.”
The National Water Safety Summit 2025 is marking the United Nations declared World Drowning Prevention Day, observed globally on Friday 25th July.
Friday’s proceedings will be formally opened by Matt Thistlethwaite, Federal Assistant Minister for Immigration, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Australia’s approach to water safety has been ranked highly in the Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention, published by World Health Organization in 2024. WHO is calling for a global focus on coordination across sectors, improving children’s swimming and water safety skills, and on addressing flooding and ferry disasters.
The National Water Safety Summit 2025 closes on Friday afternoon, with the expected release of a renewed version of the Australian Water Safety Strategy for consideration ahead of summer.
Click here for more information on the Summit.
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