Australian Water Safety Council (AWSC)

The Australian Water Safety Council, opens in a new tab (AWSC) was officially formed in February 1998 as a result of industry consultation and Federal Government support. The Council acts as a consultative forum for the major water safety organisations and related government agencies and focuses on the presentation of key water safety issues to governments, industry, and the community.

Organisations represented on the Council include:

• Royal Life Saving Society – Australia (RLSSA)
• Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA)
• Australasian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety (AUSTSWIM)
• Australian Leisure Facilities Association (ALFA)
• Australian National Sports Fishing Association (ANSFA)
• Australia New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group (ANZSBEG)
• Australian Swimming Coaches & Teachers Association (ASCTA)
• Australasian Diving Safety Foundation (ADSF)
• Farmsafe Australia
• Surfing Australia
• Swimming Australia
• The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia (Kidsafe)
• Government Observers: Department of Health and Bureau of Meteorology

The AWSC is committed to improving water safety in Australia as demonstrated through the production and implementation of National Water Safety Plans. These plans have generated bipartisan support for water safety in Australia and have seen the improvement of water safety throughout the country. The AWSC member bodies continue to demonstrate their commitment to water safety by directing resources of their respective organisations towards the development and implementation of the Australian Water Safety Strategy, opens in a new tab.

Australian Water Safety Strategy (AWSS)

The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030: Towards a Nation free from drowning, opens in a new tab (2021) identifies five priority areas which are key to reducing drowning by 50% by 2030. Priority areas are People; Places; Activities; Risk factors; and Populations. It then identifies three areas of focus in each priority area based on research and consultation, fifteen in total. Supported by guiding principles and enablers, continued focus on these priorities will help to achieve the strategy's goal of reducing drowning and building water safe communities.

Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 - midpoint update (2025)

July 2025 marked the halfway point of the AWSS 2030, providing an opportunity to critically assess progress to date, examine whether the Strategy continued to reflect the right priorities, and identify where greater focus and attention were needed. Progress was assessed in two ways, through meaningful consultation with the Australian water safety sector culminating in the 2025 National Water Safety Summit; and by evaluating changes in drowning rates per 100,000 population. A draft consultation report was released in July 2025 for feedback, with the finalised 2025 AWSS update scheduled to be launched before the end of Summer 2025/2026.

• Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030: 2025 update consultation draft, opens in a new tab, Australian Water Safety Council, (2025). The high-level conclusion of this report is that overall non-accidental, fatal drowning rates are increasing, and urgent attention is required. Key suggestions were to focus and/or prioritise:
  • Three National imperatives: Swimming and water safety skills for all; Localising water safety efforts; Aligning policies and partnerships for change.
  • People: Children (0-4 years); Young males (15-29 years); Older people (65+ years).
  • Populations: First Nations peoples; Multicultural communities; Regional and remote communities.
  • Places: Beaches; Rivers and lakes; Aquatic facilities.
  • Activities: Boating and watercraft; Rock fishing; Diving and snorkelling.