The NSW Shadow Minister for Emergency Services has announced her support for significant changes to drowning prevention and awareness in NSW following the state election in March.
Among the changes proposed by the Shadow Minister, Melinda Pavey are:
- Strip five government departments of responsibility for this issue
- Make Emergency Management NSW take charge (in a similar fashion to the centralised approach undertaken in Victoria)
- Provide a 25% funding increase for Surf Life Saving NSW
Ms Pavey has also flagged her interest in the system which she likens to the “designated driver” program used to prevent drink driving deaths, which is currently promoted by the Samuel Morris Foundation, and all of our other partner organisations, to strengthen the supervision role.
Ms Pavey has indicated that she wishes to focus on Supervision and Education in addressing these issues. Both of these are important and necessary elements in a broader system of measures which have been demonstrated by research to be effective at reducing the risk of toddler drownings.
The Samuel Morris Foundation welcomes Ms Pavey’s commitment of the Coalition to action on this important issue and will continue to communicate with members of Parliament around the country for the changes we believe are necessary to achieve our goal of zero drowning or near drownings .
Ultimately we would like to see one set of Nationally consistent and uniform legislation and regulation around issues of water safety and drowning prevention.
The original article featuring Ms Pavey’s commitment can be found at the Daily Telegraph
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