Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 - Midpoint Update

The Australian Water Safety Strategy (AWSS) sets out a shared agenda for the broad multidisciplinary network dedicated to preventing drowning and promoting safe use of the nation’s waterways and swimming pools. In 2023, 2024, and 2025, experts convened across the country in a series of high-level workshops and meetings focused on assessing the AWSS 2030 at its midpoint. Insights from these meetings, supported by current research and additional targeted consultation resulted in updates to the Strategy’s framing and direction. The refined updated strategy sets out three National Imperatives to reverse the current trend of increasing drowning rates: boosting swimming and water safety skills for all, localising water safety efforts, and strengthening coordination across sectors and jurisdictions.