Water Safety in the Bush

Water Safety in the Bush is an initiative developed by the Combined University Centre for Rural Health, with funding support from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging (Injury and Prevention Unit), aimed at improving the water safety of children living on stations and farms throughout rural and remote Australia. The program has been developed in response to farm and stations women’s concerns about children’s water awareness, and their capacity, as parents, to provide water safety education. These concerns echo those of national groups such as Farmsafe Australia, the National Water Safety Council and The Royal Lifesaving Society of Australia. Drowning is the principal cause of death for children aged 0-15 years living on farms and accounting for approximately 41% of all child deaths.

Throughout the country, water safety and awareness education is largely provided to children within schools. However, often children living on farms and stations receive home schooling or distance education and don’t have access to these organised water safety programs. W ater Safety in the Bush addresses this gap; it provides the opportunity for parents and children on farms and stations to receive nationally accredited training and education in water awareness, familiarisation and safety.

The training program caters for children and adults of all ages and skill levels, and includes Infant Aquatics, Swim and Survive and Heartbeat Club courses. Each of these is based on modules developed by The Royal Life Saving Society, and is provided by nationally accredited Austswim instructors. In addition, within the program, water safety signage is installed at community pools and local swimming holes.

Water Safety in the Bush was piloted in the Murchison Shire in April 2005 with support from Farmsafe Alliance WA, The Royal Lifesaving Society (WA), the Geraldton Aquarena, and the Murchison Arts Council. It proved a huge success, with eight of the nine local station families attending the training. According to Doug Strike, the training provider, “...the enthusiasm of the kids and parents alike was tremendous; they totally appreciated our assistance and understanding in the need to improve their knowledge and skills”.

As a result of the program, 27 people in the Murchison Shire received water safety and awareness training. This training has provided these people with the capacity to improve water safety and to potentially reduce the local incidence of drowning and near drowning in the future.

More events will be held in the Murchison shire in early summer. It is hoped the Murchison experience of the Water Safety in the Bush program will show the great potential of an initiative like this, and pending a successful outcome the program will be made available to 12 other isolated agricultural communities across the country.

For more information contact Peter Shaw.