Victoria has successfully delivered a range of water safety initiatives
Victorians love the outdoors and enjoying the benefits, both physical and emotional, that are gained by being in, on, or around water, as evidenced by steady growth in visitors over many years to parks, piers, and beaches1. However, tragically two‑thirds of all Victorian drownings occur in open waters – rivers and creeks, beaches, lakes and dams, and the ocean2. As a growing number of Victorians recreate in the water (exacerbated by COVID‑19 related patterns of visitation), and in waters unfamiliar to them, more Victorians are being exposed to water safety risks.
Visitation numbers have spiked and are set to spike further as COVID‑19 lockdowns ease and interstate and international travel are constrained. Indeed, easing of COVID‑19 restrictions and warmer weather have encouraged more Victorians to visit the beaches more than ever before. The estimated number of people visiting Victorian beaches in 2020/21 was 60 per cent higher than in 2019/20, and 51 per cent higher than the five‑year average3, (see Figure 6 below.) Looking into the future, Victorians indicate that they intend to travel intrastate at a rate 17 per cent higher than pre‑COVID‑19 levels, and COVID‑19 led growth in remote working is accelerating the existing trend of Victorians moving to the regions (including near the coast and other waterways).
Many are venturing to waterways for the first time with varying levels of water safety experience, including many from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Increasing numbers of people are poorly assessing risk and swimming in unsuitable environments (e.g. seeking out remote locations to social distance, travelling to un‑patrolled beaches)4. This trend may be accelerated by new regulations5 which are poised to grow the number of Victorians camping near water. In particular, CALD Victorians are at higher risk. This cohort is overrepresented in drowning statistics (36 per cent of drownings compared to 28 per cent representation in population6) and is at a higher risk of drowning when ‘day‑tripping’ to waterways7.
Growth in visitation and changing liabilities are putting land and water managers under pressure. Recent rulings regarding industrial manslaughter are indicating that land managers are increasingly liable for providing safe ‘workplaces’ which may include visitors on land and waters they manage8. As a result, managers are becoming more aware of their public safety responsibilities and are looking for better ways to manage growing risks. At the same time, managers have varied capacity to respond to water safety risks. There is a wide range of scope, scale, and capability across these organisations9 which creates unique challenges, and opportunities.
Figure 6: Estimated Victorian beach visitation
More people are using recreational vessels, often with less experience
Boating is one of Victoria’s most popular recreational pursuits, with 1‑in‑10 Victorians regularly participating in recreational boating10. However, the use of powered and non‑powered vessels is a high‑risk activity. In the financial year 2020/21, Maritime Safety Victoria logged 1,248 boating related incidents11 and 11 per cent of fatalities in Victoria were boating when they drowned. As boating popularity grows, more Victorians will be exposed to these risks, there will be more inexperienced operators on the water, and Victoria’s capacity to respond will be stressed.
The popularity of powered and non‑powered recreational vessels continues to grow, enabled by investment in new infrastructure. The number of recreational boating licences in Victorian grew by 12,700 in the Financial Year 2020/21; a 3 per cent increase which is 1.2 per cent higher than recent population growth12. Greater government investment has enabled this growth in popularity. Better Boating Victoria is investing $47 million in boating reforms including boat ramp upgrades across the state and removing fees to 35 boat ramps13.
Some COVID‑19 trends are driving up the number of inexperienced operators – often in poorly maintained craft. For example, Australians have more disposable income as COVID‑19 restrictions have led them to the highest household saving ratio on record – 22 per cent in March 2020. Some of this additional disposable income is being used to buy watercraft, particularly second‑hand watercraft. The overall number of registered vessels in Victoria continues to grow at 1.1 per cent per annum, while vessel registration transfers in 2020/21 were 28 per cent higher than in FY20 and 21 per cent higher than the five‑year average14.
The capacity to respond to marine accidents is under pressure with an ageing and declining volunteer base. Volunteers are the primary providers of marine response – they attend up to 900 (of 1,500) incidents per year15. The average age of Marine Search and Research volunteers is over 55 years old, which presents a considerable issue in the near term as sign‑up rates are not in line with expected attrition16.
Figure 7: Victorian household savings ratio and vessel registration transfers
Learn to swim and water safety education is under some pressure
Swim lessons and education have been a critical pillar of Victorian water safety over the last fifty years. However, COVID‑19 has exacerbated trends in lesson availability, workforce capacity, and swimming infrastructure.
COVID‑19 restrictions have had a dramatic impact on the availability of swimming lessons. COVID‑19 lockdowns created a 6‑to‑12‑month period where swimming lessons were not taught as pools were closed, causing 5 million lessons to be missed17. However, there were signs of demand ‘bouncing‑back’ when restrictions were briefly eased. During temporarily eased lockdown conditions in May/June 2021, multiple councils recorded a significant uplift in lesson demand, exceeding previous highs by as much as 24 per cent18.
This has exacerbated an already chronic shortage of swimming teachers, as a largely casual workforce has sought employment elsewhere. The Victorian aquatic industry employs 20,000 workers, including swim teachers, lifeguards, and administrative staff19. The majority (62 per cent) of the aquatic industry workforce works casual or part‑time. A pre‑COVID‑19 national survey20 found that those exiting the workforce left for reasons relating to consistent and reliable work and remuneration (see Figure 8). Life Saving Victoria estimates that the COVID‑19‑induced 24 per cent fall in this workforce has translated to a shortfall of up to 1,800 swimming teachers21. This concern is shared by swim schools – 82 per cent of swim schools claimed they were worried about staff retention in a recent survey22.
Potential permanent pool closures will hinder access to lessons, particularly in regional Victoria where closures are more likely. Volatile demand, combined with growing operational and maintenance costs for local pools, is stressing the financial viability for keeping facilities open, particularly in rural and regional municipalities23. Potential pool closures24 may reduce the availability of necessary swim lesson infrastructure, stifling supply. For regional and rural communities, and for some segments of communities at risk (e.g. CALD and people with disability), this can significantly increase the travel time to the nearest pool, making it less likely these communities will participate in crucial learn to swim lessons.
Figure 8: Australian aquatic industry workforce employment statistics
End notes
1 Public visitation of Victorian parks and piers has grown ~2 per cent p.a. faster than population growth over the past 20 years ‑ 3.9 per cent compared to 1.9 per cent p.a (Analysis of Parks VIC data and ABS population data). Tree‑ and sea‑changer communities can also explain some of the increase, as pre‑COVID‑19 these communities were growing 1.5 times faster than average population growth
2 National Drowning Report 2021, Royal Life Saving
3 Estimated visitation at beaches in Victoria (patrolled by lifesavers and during patrol times), provided by Life Saving Victoria
4 Consultations with Water Safety Taskforce members
5 Delivering More Camping Opportunities For All Victorians, Media Release Victorian State Government
6 36% of drownings over past ten years were people of a CALD background, Life Saving Victoria. 28% of people in Victoria in 2016 were born overseas, ABS population data
7 Consultations with Water Safety Taskforce members and land and waterway managers
8 Consultations with Water Safety Taskforce members and land and waterway managers
9 Consultations with Water Safety Taskforce members
10 Victorian recreational boating strategy 2021 – 2030, Better Boating Victoria
11 Boating incidents include: disablement of vessel (69%), Non marine incidents (9%), Person in trouble (6%), Grounding (6%), capsizing (3%), person overboard (1.5%), others (~5%)
12 Analysis of: ‘On Deck’ MSV data and ABS population data
14 Analysis of vessel registration data provided by Maritime Safety Victoria
15 Consultations with Water Safety Taskforce members
16 Analysis of MSAR volunteers age demographics, provided by Emergency Management Victoria
17 Swim school survey conducted by Life Saving Victoria
18 Consultations with representatives of Victorian Councils
19 Victorian lockdown being felt hard by aquatic industry, Royal Life Savings Australia
20 National aquatic industry workforce report, Royal Life Savings Australia
21 Swim school survey conducted by Life Saving Victoria
22 Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20, Life Saving Victoria and Aquatics & Recreation Victoria
23 Consultations with representatives of Victorian Councils
24 Consultations with representatives of Victorian Councils
Updated