South Australia and Victoria back WA's Watch Around Water Campaign

Industry aquatic industry and safety bodies in South Australia and Victoria have partnered with the Watch Around Water program. The partnership with the see the program, which is owned by LIWA (the Leisure Institute of WA), backed by Royal Life Saving Society Australia (WA), coordinated in South Australia by Aquatic Recreation SA and in Victoria by Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV).

In South Australia, Recreation SA is currently developing a new Watch Around Water website and promotional campaign. The promotion will see Watch Around Water launched for the 2011/12 season at the new South Australian State Aquatic Centre on 9th September 2011 during the SA Aquatics Conference.

Recreation SA have also appointed Siobhan Goble to coordinate the program in South Australia, where she will be organising and running accreditations as well as serving as a point of contact for relevant information.

Recreation SA explain that "the purpose of this campaign is to inform the general public of water safety while also encouraging pools and leisure facilities to be accredited sites within the community.

"Communities need to know their local pools and facilities are doing everything they can to be as safe and responsible as possible."

Watch Around Water is sponsored by Candetti in South Australia.

Meanwhile, on its website, ARV state "the aquatic and recreation industry has expressed concern regarding the supervision of children at public aquatic facilities. To address this issue 'Watch Around Water' has been developed to educate the public about adequate supervision and to encourage parent/guardians to take on this responsibility when visiting a public aquatic facility.

"'Watch Around Water' has been successfully implemented in facilities in Western Australia and was introduced to South Australia last year. Aquatics & Recreation Victoria and Life Saving Victoria jointly promote and deliver this initiative in Victoria with the support from the 'Play it Safe by the Water' campaign.

"'Watch Around Water' is a very valuable and worthwhile program that will benefit every facility in Victoria. ARV, along with Life Saving Victoria, would also like to acknowledge LIWA Aquatics and Royal Life Saving Western Australia who developed this program."

In recent years, the Watch Around Water program has competed with the Royal Life Saving Society Australia national office's 'Keep Watch at Public Pools' program.

137 Pools in NSW have now implemented the Keep Watch @ Public Pools program.

For more information go to www.watcharoundwater.com.au

23rd May 2011 - NT DROWNING HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR WATCH AROUND WATER