In May of 2023, more than 120 delegates from over 45 organisations met together to develop a collective water safety strategy for the South East Queensland region.
The forum, facilitated by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and co-hosted by the Royal Life Saving Society - Queensland and the City of Gold Coast, came about as a result of Royal Life Saving research which found that 366 people had drowned in the region in the last 10 years, making the region a drowning blackspot region (the drowning report and draft strategy are available below).
More recently, Royal Life Saving Australia, in partnership with Royal Life Saving Society Queensland (RLSSQ), Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), the Queensland Government and Sunshine Coast Council, convened the second South East Queensland Water Safety Forum on 16 October 2025. Bringing together more than 60 participants from over 40 organisations, the forum reaffirmed the region’s shared commitment to eliminating drowning and empowering communities to be safer around water.
BACKGROUND
The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 (AWSS 2030) sets the national direction for drowning prevention and water safety, providing a shared framework to guide policy, planning and investment across Australia. Royal Life Saving Australia, with support from the Australian Government, is committed to delivering on the Strategy’s objectives and to ensuring that national ambitions translate into meaningful change in communities where people live, work and recreate around water.
The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 has just undergone a midpoint review which confirms that Australia is not yet on track to achieve the aspirational goal of a 50% reduction in drowning by 2030, and calls for renewed focus and collective effort. In this midpoint refocus of the AWSS 2030, three National Imperatives identify critical areas where bold, sustained action is needed to drive systemic change and reverse the fatal drowning trend from the last five years.
Three National Imperatives are:
1) Swimming and water safety skills for all;
2) Localise water safety efforts; and,
3) Align policies and partnerships.
The South East Water Safety Strategy and Forum are fundamentally aimed at achieving the second and third national imperatives, targeted to this region that is over-represented in drowning statistics. A 10 year analysis from 2011/12 to 2021/22 indicates:
- 366 people have drowned in South East Queensland
- 45% were within five kilometres of home when they drowned
- 32% were aged between 25 and 44 years of age and a further 20% were aged 65+ years
- 77% of people who drowned were male
ABOUT THE STRATEGY
The development of this strategy has been informed by the following activities:
South East Queensland Drowning Profile
Forum participants were provided with local drowning data, research and information. The information included regional and LGA-level drowning statistics, key contributing factors and local drowning risk factors. Participants were also invited to share their own personal experiences of drowning, drowning prevention and drowning response. These discussions informed the architecture of the regional water safety strategy which focuses on 17 key priority areas for the region.
Community Survey – Community Attitudes to Water Safety
Workshop participants were also provided with findings from the Community Attitudes to Water Safety Survey. The survey catchment area covered the South East Queensland region from Pallarenda, west to Alice River, south to Charters Towers and includes Magnetic Island. The 18-question survey was open for four weeks to gather as much information as possible. Hundreds of community members completed the survey, providing rich insights into community behaviours and expectations.
Water Safety Forum Workshops
Forum attendees identified key issues for each of the 17 selected priority areas and collectively agreed upon action that they believe will move South East Queensland closer towards the target of reducing drowning by 50% by 2027.
THE 2025 FORUM
The forum provided an opportunity for leaders from government, emergency services, local councils, research institutions, peak bodies, community organisations, and industry to reconnect, align regional efforts, and collectively reimagine drowning prevention strategies for South East Queensland. Participants reflected on progress against the South East Queensland Water Safety Strategy 2023–2027, discussed changes in the regional risk environment, and workshopped priority actions to ensure ongoing alignment with the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030.
The forum presents three key priorities to reduce drowning across SEQLD:
Priority 1: Sharpen and align safety messaging for the people and places at greatest risk
Priority 2: Make safer environments and services the “default” choice across the region
Priority 3: Strengthen systems – policy, partnerships and data – to sustain impact
NEXT STEPS
We encourage LGAs to consider whether they could follow up this strategy by developing a local water safety plan specific to their local community context. We also would be supportive of a broader QLD Government-led working group being established to respond to the strategy, and recognise forum participant feedback that more cross-cutting and cross-portfolio collaboration is needed to accelerate meaningful drowning prevention action.
