New approach to reduce drownings

A new approach is being taken to reduce drownings in the Waikato Region.

A group of local community leaders brought together by Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) recently met to set the vision for a new water safety strategy for the Waikato region.

WSNZ CEO Jonty Mills says every region in New Zealand faces their own unique challenges when it comes to drowning prevention and the way forward is for the solutions to be community led with real engagement at a grassroots level.

“Despite all the efforts from everyone over the last 10 years, the drowning toll isn’t coming down. Something must change. We need a cultural shift in the way we approach water safety. We need communities to get involved and lead the change.”

This emphasis on collaboration and delivery at a regional level reflects widespread agreement amongst water safety sector stakeholders that ‘business as usual’ will not achieve the desired water safety outcomes.

In 2017, Waikato had one of the six highest drowning tolls in New Zealand, despite a reduction in preventable drowning fatalities from 2016. Moreover, during 2017, 20 per cent of all river drownings in New Zealand occurred in the Waikato region.

Jonty Mills said “addressing these challenges requires engagement with community leaders who understand the issues”.

This includes engagement with iwi and Ma¯ori organisations in the Waikato.

“Ma¯ori are over-represented in Waikato drownings and over the past decade, the Ma¯ori drowning rate in the Waikato was higher than the national average,” said Mr Mills. “Effective input from Ma¯ori is crucial to the strategy’s success.”

The four main activity areas the strategy will focus on are water safety skills development, recreational boating safety, fresh water safety and beach and ocean safety. These activities have different challenges as well as different stakeholders. The final plan will be tailored to the specific circumstances of the Waikato and will identify the priority initiatives and investment priorities for each activity area.

Jonty Mills noted that over the next 2-3 years WSNZ will develop a series of regional water safety strategies across New Zealand by direct engagement with regional organisations.

“The objective is to develop coordinated and collaborative action plans to help reduce drowning deaths and

injuries, and build a culture of safe enjoyment around water,” he said.

Media and the community are invited to attend discussion forums to inform the strategy.

These will be where all people interested in water safety can come and discuss in more depth the challenges, issues and opportunities in the Waikato.

■ Registration to attend the forums is required and you can do so by emailing Sport Waikato at reception@sportwaikato.org.nz or calling Helen HallKing on 07 858 5388.

The information collected from these forums will then be fed back to the governance group which will inform the development of the strategy