Published 20 November 2025
A year marked by progress, collaboration, and collective action across drowning prevention and water safety - all guided by our core purpose of bringing people together to eliminate drowning and empower communities to be safe around water.
This year, the National Drowning Report 2025 was launched at Parliament House, in front of Members, Senators and partners from across the water safety sector. The report is a wake-up call, highlighting heightened risks for disadvantaged, multicultural and regional communities - and reinforcing the urgent need for national action.
We brought more than 240 leaders together on World Drowning Prevention Day for the National Water Safety Summit, renewing Australia’s commitment to halving drowning deaths by 2030 and releasing the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 – 2025 Update Consultation Draft for national feedback.
Across the country, we united planners, councils and architects at the Aquatic Infrastructure Symposium to co-design future-ready aquatic facilities for growing regional areas and vulnerable communities. And at the Swimming and Water Safety Education Roundtable, we responded to confronting research showing that 50% of children leave primary school unable to swim 50 metres. A national six-point action plan is now in place which aims to ensure no child misses out on vital skills.
Internally, we focused on addressing the key drivers behind rising drowning deaths - declining swimming skills, an ageing population, and more people visiting remote and unfamiliar waterways - delivering key initiatives highlighted throughout the report.
From year-round campaigns like Keep Watch, Make the Right Call, and Summer Water Safety, to the growth of multicultural and Indigenous partnerships, advocacy and community engagement remained at the heart of our work.
These highlights represent only a snapshot of the comprehensive work delivered nationwide. Together, this collective effort is building a stronger, connected national approach to keep communities safe around water.
