With summer fast approaching, Central Coast Council is reminding residents that it’s never too late to learn to swim with SwimSAFER Week promoting safe swim practices from 18-24 November.

SwimSAFER Week is a dedicated initiative that Council’s Learn to Swim Schools support in partnership with Swim Australia and AUSTSWIM every year, helping children and adults to build essential water safety skills to be confident in the water.

Council’s Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith said learning to swim is a fundamental preventative measure to ensure safety for our community in and around pools, beaches, and our local waterways.  

“Pool safety is a major community issue, as home pools are associated with a high risk of drowning, particularly for children aged 0 to 4 years,” Ms Smith said.

“Throughout this week, our swim programs will educate kids and their parent/carers about swim safety by focusing on five key factors; critical survival strokes and reach rescues, the importance of floating and treading water, essential water safety signals for help, comfort under the water and swimming without goggles.

“Council’s Learn to Swim program has qualified and experienced swimming instructors teaching 6-month-old babies up to all ages, and the message we want to convey is learning to swim at any age will offer protection for ourselves and our families.”

Council Mayor, Lawrie McKinna said swimming is not just a sporting activity, it is a life-saving skill and SwimSAFER Week raises awareness on the importance of learning to swim and improving everyone’s water survival skills.

“This year, SwimSAFER Week focuses on the essential skill of floating, and the survival steps required during a water emergency,” Mayor McKinna said.

“This is particularly important with SwimSAFER revealing that 45% of children have poor or average floating ability.”

“Water safety starts at home with the supervision of our children around water, enrolling in Learn to Swim classes, being aware of water conditions and knowing basic first aid and CPR.”

For more information about SwimSAFER Week, search ‘learn to swim’ at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

ENDS