Thursday, 10 March 2022

Adjournment

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (17:47): I move:

That the house do now adjourn.

Swimming and water safety education

Mr ONDARCHIE (Northern Metropolitan) (17:47): (1809) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education. Families in Melbourne’s north are concerned about children’s safety around water. For two years the lockdowns have led to a greater proportion of children who cannot swim or who are classed as weak swimmers. Families will be aware that February and March are months for school swim carnivals in Melbourne’s north. It has been reported to me that staff are seeing an increase in near drownings and an increase in rescues at local pools in Melbourne’s north.

According to Life Saving Victoria, in the period 2020–21 there were about 61 deaths. That is an increase of 40 per cent on the 10-year average. The nation has so far reported many deaths by drowning this summer, and one life is too many. This is not helped by two years of Victoria’s lockdowns meaning private swimming lessons were cancelled or postponed. The consequences of swim school closures are potentially very, very tragic. After 262 days of lockdowns over 8 million vital learn-to-swim lessons have been missed in Victoria, with tens of thousands of kids missing out on critical classes and seeing their skills and their confidence in the water deteriorate. Following the lockdowns of 2020, 25 children aged zero to four died from drowning as restrictions eased—a 108 per cent increase from the previous year.

In October 2021 the Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy, said:

Swimming pool closures have real consequences for children’s confidence and safety in the water.

He went on to say:

For children, their families, adults learning to swim, swim schools and the jobs they support—our—

the Liberals’ and Nationals’—

plan would get indoor pools open safely and sooner.

The call for action I have for the minister is for the minister to direct the department to help primary school-age children, local schools and school communities in Melbourne’s north to participate more in swimming safety lessons at school. Swimming ability and confidence is an essential life skill. Getting our school swimming lessons programs back up and running must be a priority.