Published 28 May 2025
During National Reconciliation Week, we are proud to release a new report ‘Enhancing Cultural Connection to Water for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ together with our research partner from Guunu-maana (Heal), at The George Institute for Global Health.
This report focuses on the cultural connections to water for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This report highlights the importance of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems into water safety and drowning prevention strategies.
This year’s Reconciliation Week theme, "Bridging Now to Next", calls on us to connect past lessons with future progress. This report acknowledges the deep, enduring connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have with water. It is critical that this connection be recognised and embedded within programs and initiatives to appropriately enhance water safety knowledge and skills, all while promoting social inclusion and cultural wellbeing.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent just 3.8% of Australia’s population but account for 5% of drowning fatalities, with most incidents occurring in remote and very remote communities. By acknowledging and integrating cultural perspectives, we can create more inclusive and effective water safety programs.
