Royal Life Saving Queensland releases its spring newsletter. Please download our newsletter to read about the Airlie Beach Lifeguard Club, Volunteering Opportunities, the Australian Lifesaving Team, HM The Queens conference call, our projects update, and upcoming activities.

Royal Life Saving releases it’s annual report for the financial year (June 2021). The society continued to provide increased services to the Queensland community, with significantly increased activity in community programs, training and other activity.

Society President, Mr Les Mole said “I can only pass on a very sincere ‘thank you’, because without the proactiveness of our people, we would not achieve as much as we do”.

We are pleased to invite you and/or your colleagues to an upcoming free webinar. This year marks 30 years and 25 years respectively of Royal Life Saving having developed and maintained the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (the GSPO) and Aquatic Facility Safety Assessments. Initially intended to be voluntary, the Guidelines were created in 1991 to provide locally developed practical guidance for the safe operation of swimming facilities and aquatic locations.

Safety Assessments were created in 1996 to assist aquatic facility owners and operators measure their success in managing risk and preventing serious incidents. Together, the Guidelines and independent Safety Assessments have: helped aquatic facility owners and operators be protected from the imposition of inappropriate standards; driven down both drownings and aquatic based injuries in public aquatic facilities; and provided a standard by which to measure safety performance for the sector.

Over the course of the last three decades, the Guidelines and Assessments have continued to evolve to incorporate more sophisticated standards, legislation, facilities, programs and community expectations.

Now under the oversight and guidance of the National Aquatic Industry Committee, the Guidelines are as relevant as ever considering the COVID-19 pandemic and an increasingly complex operating environment.

Royal Life Saving is pleased to facilitate its fourth aquatic industry webinar for 2021-22 and will be joined by some of the creators and administrators of the GSPO and Safety Assessments as well as key industry partners integral to the development and use of the Guidelines:

• Norman Farmer AM ESM, RLSS Commonwealth
• Craig Roberts, Royal Life Saving New South Wales
• Matthew Griffiths, Aquatic Recreation Institute New South Wales
• And others (pending schedules)

Webinar Details:
Thursday 30 September 2021
11:00am to 12:00pm AEST

Facilitator:
RJ Houston, National Manager – Aquatics, Royal Life Saving Australia

Webinar Registration:
Registration for this event is essential, please register at the below link.

Contact
RJ Houston, National Manager – Aquatics
Email: rjhouston@rlssa.org.au

Today, in a joint release, the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2021 and Surf Life Saving National Coastal Safety Report 2021 were released. There were 294 drowning deaths in the past 12 months across Australia’s coastline, inland waterways and pools, which is 20% higher than last year (245).

Concerningly there was 75 drownings in inland waterways which is a 53% increase, and 66 drowning at beach, which is a 50% increase.

With the support of the Morrison Government, Royal Life Saving works with the Australian Water Safety Council, State and Territory organisations, and local communities to prevent drowning across the country and increase water safety awareness. Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison said the Government was determined to support organisations like Royal Life Saving to raise water safety awareness and to make our pools, waterways and beaches safer. 

While further research is needed, the findings from RLSSA show that the impacts of COVID on increases in drowning deaths is largely attributable to:

1. Increased drowning risk among Australians visiting unfamiliar locations. COVID has seen more people seeking out remote places to escape crowds, swimming outside of patrolled hours, taking more day trips to isolated beaches, rivers or lakes and holidaying domestically at unfamiliar locations.
2. Increased drowning risk around the home. Complacency can often seep in when people are exhausted from working from home, home schooling, and restricted time in confined spaces, sometimes resulting in distractions or unsupervised children around water.
3. Australians lack the swimming skills necessary to enjoy the water safely. COVID has seen children missing out on swimming lessons, adults and teenagers with reduced pool access who are no longer swim fit and/or lack confidence in the water leading to increased drowning incidents in open waterways. 

key facts include:

• Rescue-related incidents on our coast were up 150% from average, with rip currents at unpatrolled locations being prominent factors within these incidents
• There were 25 drowning deaths among children aged 0-4 years, an 108% increase on last year and a 9% increase on the 10-year average.
• People aged 25-34 years accounted for 17% of all drowning deaths, the most of any age group.
• 136 drowning deaths occurred on coastal waters, an 13% increase on last year and the 10-year average (n=120).
• 75 drowning deaths occurred in rivers and creeks; this is a 53% increase on last year.

Click on the link below to read the National Drowning report.

Click here to download the National Drowning Report 2021
Click here to download the Media Release

Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia would like to invite you to a webinar following the release of the 2021 National Drowning Report and National Coastal Safety Report. Join us on Thursday 9 September 2021 to reflect and discuss drowning statistics and key drowning trends from the last 12 months.
 
We will hear from a range of speakers covering research, policy and practice, who are all working to reduce drowning across Australia.

Webinar Details:

Thursday 9 September, 11am-12pm EST

Description:

Royal Life Saving is pleased to facilitate its third Aquatic Industry webinar for 2021-22 and will be joined by practitioners, advocates and experts in the field including:

• Justin Scarr, CEO, Royal Life Saving Society – Australia
• Adam Weir, CEO, Surf Life Saving Australia
• Alison Mahony, Author of the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report
• Surf Life Saving Research team, authors of the National Coastal Safety Report
• Peter Hopkins, Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST)
• Omar Mahmoud & Feroz Sattar, Founders of Swim Brothers, NSW
• Floss Roberts, Royal Life Saving – Northern Territory

Facilitator:

The Webinar is facilitated by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia

Webinar Registration:

Registration for this event is essential, please register at the below link.
  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hPpbIZULSgact2FYC2THUQ

NOTICE OF AGM

We would like to invite members to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held on Thursday 23 September 2021 at The Plantation, 1204 New Cleveland Road, Gumdale Qld 4154, commencing at 6.30 pm.

You can view the Notice and Agenda for the AGM at this link. The society will release its annual report at the AGM.
If you have not yet renewed your membership for this season, you can renew your membership by completing the membership renewal form.
Please forward any apologies by email to admin@rlssq.com.au. 
If you have any questions please contact us on (07) 3823 2823 or email admin@rlssq.com.au. 

On behalf of

Mrs Carolyn Asher
The Honorary Secretary
Royal Life Saving Society Queensland Inc

COVID-19 VACCINATIONS: WORKPLACE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS FOR AQUATIC FACILITIES AND SWIM SCHOOLS

Webinar Details:

Wednesday 1 September 2021, 11:00am-12:00pm AEST

Description:

Royal Life Saving is pleased to facilitate its third Aquatic Industry webinar for 2021-22 and will be joined by practitioners, advocates and experts in the field including:

• Angus Macinnis, Director of Dispute Resolution, StevensVuaran Lawyers
• Associate Professor Holly Seale, Program Director, Bachelor of International Public Health (BIPH), University of New South Wales
• and others

Facilitator:

• RJ Houston, National Manager – Aquatics, Royal Life Saving Australia

Registration for this event is essential, please register at the below link.

Webinar Registration:

Contact:

RJ Houston, National Manager – Aquatics

Email: rjhouston@rlssa.org.au

Disclaimer:

This news story is produced by Royal Life Saving and prepared by StevensVuarans Lawyers who have drafted an opinion piece on the likely effect of a potential vaccine mandate within aquatic facilities, swim schools and the aquatic industry.

The article is designed and intended to provide general information only in summary form and current at the time of publication. The contents do not constitute legal or professional advice and are not intended to be a substitute for legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. You should seek your own legal advice or other professional advice in relation to any matter you or your organisation may have.

Statement from Queensland Aquatic Industry Alliance

The Queensland Aquatic Industry Alliance (QAIA) was convened in early 2020 as lockdowns emerged in Queensland. The QAIA comprises representatives from industry organisations, local government authority and facilities including ALFAQ, ASCTA, ASSA, AUSTSWIM, Brisbane City Council, City Venue Management, Royal Life Saving Society Queensland and Swimming Queensland.

QAIA have worked continuously with the state government to ensure aquatic facilities, learn to swim and aquatic sport can reopen as soon as safely possible after each lockdown with the least amount of restrictions possible.

The Queensland government have appreciated working with one group that represents the aquatic industry. As a result, QAIA have been able to provide Queensland government with information and confidence that the aquatic industry can operate safely under COVID safe checklist. This has resulted in the ability for pools and associated activity to reopen early and with the least possible restrictions.

With the southeast Queensland lockdown ending on Sunday 8 August the QAIA worked with Queensland government to ensure swim schools and learn to swim, hydrotherapy, recreational activities and aquatic exercise can resume immediately. This is reflected in the Restrictions for Impacted Areas (No. 12) (SEQ eased restrictions Stage 1) Direction.

Direction 12 provides clarity that indoor and outdoor swimming pools can reopen for rehabilitation, learn to swim and recreational purposes with restrictions like physical distancing out of the pool and occupancy density for shared indoor spaces. However, some activities including organised team sport are not permitted.

Each individual facility and operator will need to determine when and how they reopen subject to COVID safe plans and other considerations including third party provider requirements, community sentiment and financial viability.

Additionally, in light of The Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport (DTIS) releasing a statement to the Sport and Recreation industry (see attached), confirming that operators can return community sport to their venues as it fits the definition of commercial business, therefore our interpretation is that squad training can return under the following guidelines.

Squad training programs to be conducted with adherence to all of the following conditions adapted from the communications received from DTIS :

• swimmers will be in groups of a maximum of 10 with no physical contact between participants;
• participants will physically distance themselves through use of lane spacing, cycle times starts and finishes and lane ropes;
• venue density requirements are followed;
• swimmers will wear masks to and from training and at all times outside of the water;
• swimmers will only use their own equipment and no sharing of equipment will be permitted;
• swimmers will sign in using QLD govt contact tracing app at each training session
• no structured competitions to occur

For more information, please feel free to contact our office during normal business hours.

Paul Barry

Executive Director

The majority of South East Queensland is in a state of lockdown due to the pandemic. Royal Life Saving Society Queensland Inc appreciates that this lockdown will be particularly harder than previous lockdowns.

We have prepared a summary of some support and services from State, Commonwealth and Local Governments which may be of assistance to stakeholders at this time.

Please feel free to share this list with anybody.

Position Statements 2021-03

Position Statement on re-accreditation and licensing requirements for those affected by Lockdowns

A new position statement on ongoing reaccreditation and licensing requirements for key aquatic industry positions has been released by the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia (RLSSA) and the National Aquatic Industry Committee (NAIC).

The statement recognises that the aquatic industry has been deeply affected by COVID-19 lockdowns which mandated the closure of public and learn-to-swim aquatic facilities. It provides owners and operators of aquatic facilities with certainty on rostering aquatic industry staff whose reaccreditation and/or licence renewal for key qualifications has been affected by recent lockdowns.