Every year, Royal Life Saving produces a National Drowning Report. This report examines the factors that contribute to drowning deaths in Australia by examining who, where, when and how people have drowned in Australian waterways over the last year. Royal Life Saving has produced a National Drowning Report every year since 1995.

National Drowning Report 2024

The National Drowning Report 2024, released on Tuesday 20^th August at Parliament House, Canberra showed drowning is a persistent and traumatic issue that affects thousands of families, first responders and communities every year.

The National Drowning Report 2024, published by the Royal Life Saving – Australia in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia, found there were 323 drowning deaths over the past 12 months, 16 per cent higher than the ten-year average (278).

The National Drowning Report 2024 insights include: 

• 92 adults 65 years or older drowned (28% of the total), the largest number ever
• 15 children under the age of 5 drowned. This was down by 25% on the 10-year average
• 25% were born overseas, with the highest countries being India, China, Nepal and the UK. Long term data shows this figure is higher (34% over ten years)
• People from disadvantaged and regional areas drowned at a higher rate than those from higher advantaged areas, particularly in children aged 5 – 14 years
• 46% occurred in coastal locations (150), including 84 drowning deaths (26%) at beaches
• 34% at inland waterway locations (110), including 80 drowning deaths (25%) at rivers
• 11% occurred in swimming pools (35 deaths), half (51%) were backyard pools
• December and March recorded the highest numbers of drowning deaths
• Drowning rates increase ten-fold from age 10 to age 20, likely due to increases in risk taking, and a lack of swimming, water safety and lifesaving skills across youth and young adult populations.

For World Drowning Prevention Day (WDPD) RLSSQ was involved in several awareness campaigns for the day including “Light Up Blue” in Brisbane, Townsville and Ipswich. Our fabulous Education Team presented in-classroom water safety programs to ten kindy’s and state schools across Queensland reaching over 1,000 kids. Money was raised for the RLSSQ Foundation through schools and workplaces “Dressing in Blue” on the day.

We are excited to announce the winners of our World Drowning Prevention Day Colouring-In and Short Story Competitions. Thank you to all the kids who entered – we received a record number of entries this year!

Colouring-In and Short Story Winners!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

We would like to remind you that it’s time to renew your membership with Royal Life Saving Society Queensland (RLSSQ). The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) is a public benevolent institution that has a leadership role in drowning prevention in 27 Commonwealth Countries; the Queensland Branch was established in 1905 and is the oldest life saving society in Queensland. Our motto is:

‘Whomsoever you see in distress, recognise in them a fellow human being‘.

By remaining a member of Royal Life Saving, you are signifying that you desire to be part of a society with royal patronage and for the charitable purpose of drowning prevention.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Membership renewal forms are now available to be completed and can be downloaded from the link below, or from our website homepage. Membership renewal forms need to be completed and returned to remain current. To finalise your membership renewal, you will need to complete and return the below form:

• Membership Renewal Form

If you are over 18 years of age (and active in the society), you will need to provide a copy of your Blue Card (or Exemption Card) which will be linked to us.

MEMBERS HUB

We have created a members hub, which allows members to log into a members area, and renew membership online. Whilst this year membership renewal is completed using a paper based form, we would like to move to an online form next year, hence we have created a members hub.

You are welcome to renew you membership by registering and paying using the hub this year.

You can access the members hub here.

BECOMING A FACILITATOR

If you are not already, you may wish to consider becoming a facilitator (previously referred to as Recreational Trainer) with us. Have a look at this information sheet on how you can become a Facilitator.

INDUSTRY TRAINER

If you work in the aquatic industry and would like to deliver our large range of industry training courses, you may wish to consider becoming a Trainer with Royal Life Saving.

Find our more information here.

Please email all completed forms to membership@lifesavingtraining.com.au.

Do not hesitate to contact us on (07) 3823 2823 if you have any questions or concerns. Please also keep an eye on our website and follow/like our Facebook Page to stay updated.

It was our pleasure last week on 17 July 2024 to host the Queensland Police Service (QPS) Service Agreement Launch.

The partnership between RLSSQ and QPS stems back over ten years and the support from QPS (previously QFES) has facilitated the delivery of water safety education programs by RLSSQ reaching over 57,000 Queenslanders in 2023 alone.

The launch was attended by the Hon. Mark Ryan, Minister for Police and Community Safety, Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski APM, RLSSQ President, Nicky Sloan, Cr Glenn Tozer and Royal Lifesaving Australia (RLSSA), National Manager – Industry Safety, Marty Moran as well as other community and aquatic leaders.

The event included a Presentation by KARI Foundation representative, Markie Richards, about the collaboration with RLSSQ on the Gwonggubunga water safety education program for Aboriginal children.

Presentations were also made for our Platinum Pools Assessment Program with Nerang, Mudgerraba and Helensvale Aquatic Centres achieving Silver Endorsements. Congratulations to Gold Coast, Upper Coomera, Pimpama and Miami Aquatic Centres who are the first facilities in Queensland to achieve a Platinum Endorsement.

As well as the launch function and awards ceremony, attendees were given a demonstration of various pool lifeguard skills by the reigning Pool Lifeguard Challenge team from the City of Gold Coast. These professional lifeguards showed their skills in a number of pool rescue scenarios.

Royal Life Saving issues a new book on the 100^th anniversary of the Royal Charter.

In its early years the Society enjoyed close links with the Royal Family. In 1903 His Majesty King Edward Vll became Patron of the Society and presented a trophy, The King’s Cup, and in 1904 granted the Society the style “The Royal Life Saving Society”. The Duke of York, later The Prince of Wales and later still His Majesty King George V, was the President of the Society between 1892 and 1910.

The Important of a Royal Charter

It sets the Society aside from other incorporated organisations and makes it one of only about 750 such Charter bodies.

• It sets the Society aside from other incorporated organisations and makes it one of only about 750 such Charter bodies.
• The Charter reflects the high status of the organisation. In 1924 only three Royal Charters were granted.
• It cemented the link between the Society and the Royal Family (and their viceregal representatives) which commenced in 1893 and continues to the current time
• It laid the foundation for the Supplemental Charters of 1960 and 2018 and almost certainly eased the process for them being granted.
• No doubt it encouraged the succession of Patronage by the reigning monarch including HM King George VI, who appointed Earl Mountbatten as Commonwealth President which led to greater expansion in the Commonwealth, HM Queen Elizabeth, our longest serving Patron, and HM King Charles III in 2024. All our Patrons have shown considerable interest in, and support to, the Society.
• It enabled the favourable response to the request to use the St Edward’s Crown in our logo, granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1964.

Royal Life Saving Queensland, has a sub-charter from The Royal Life Saving Society.

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Royal Life Saving is seeking to employ a full time Aquatic Facility Specialist (Facility Auditor) for a new role located at Gumdale. The purpose of the role is to build and drive Royal Life Saving as a risk management specialist in the aquatic industry in Queensland. To increase the safety of aquatic facilities and locations and to assist increase overall safety for individuals who frequent these locations. work with all levels of aquatic industry – operations through to government. Strengthen industry relationships, knowledge and safety.

We are seeking an energetic and enthusiastic person with aquatic industry experience who will:

• Manage RLSS Aquatic advisors / risk services: including platinum pool program, pool safety assessments, signage assessments and supervision assessments
• Industry liaising: relation management with aquatic stakeholders and delivery of workshops, forums, or symposiums
• Business development: building and retaining partnerships across multiple industries, growing aquatic service capabilities, products and services, providing industry updates to stakeholders.
• Compliance: assisting with maintaining of standards.
• Work alongside and support Royal Life Saving Australia
• Proactively grow aquatic services and revenue

Please refer to the Position Vacant page on our website to express interest in the role.

Our Commonwealth Office is delighted to receive notification that His Majesty King Charles III has accepted the Patronage of The Royal Life Saving Society.

Royal Life Saving Society Queensland (and Australia) are members of the RLSS Commonwealth.

This news is wonderful for the Society and maintains the link between the reigning monarch and the Society which was established in 1904. This news comes as we celebrate the first anniversary of Their Majesties’ Coronation.

We are very grateful to His Majesty for this display of support. His Majesty is no stranger to the RLSS having, as Prince Charles, achieved his Bronze Medallion and the Elementary Certificate in 1962.

Royal Life Saving Queensland launches Virtual First Aid courses.

A virtual first aid course is a course completed entirely online and is ideal for those in regional or remote locations that find it difficulty to attend face-to-face courses in metro locations. This ground breaking method merges interactive, self-paced online learning with webinar-style instruction and practical evaluations guided by certified training experts. Before your online session, we will post you a training kit, which including a training manikin and other vital resources so you can complete the course.

The Virtual First Aid course is a little more expensive than a regular first aid course at $310.00, however this cost includes a resource kit (which you keep) and it can be completed without having to attend one of our usual training locations.

Course provided by Royal Life Saving Training RTO 5431. Upon successful completion of this course, a Statement of Attainment in the following units of competence is issued:
HLTAID009 – Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
HLTAID010 – Provide basic emergency life support
HLTAID011 – Provide First Aid

Interested parties are invited to apply for Queensland-first Aquatic Industry Safety Committee

Royal Life Saving Queensland (RLSQ) are inviting key stakeholders who have capacity and capability in safety in the Queensland aquatic industry to establish a Queensland Aquatic Industry Safety Committee, a key outcome of the South East Queensland Water Safety Strategy 2023-27 (Link). This committee aims to enhance aquatic industry safety across Queensland and drive collaboration within the aquatic industry. Building communities of practice around safety and compliance in the aquatic industry.

This important initiative is in response to calls for this to occur in the South East Queensland forum, which was a forum of close to 200 industry experts on drowning prevention and water safety. The South East Queensland Water Safety Strategy 2023-27, a comprehensive plan developed by Royal Life Saving Queensland, identified the need for a dedicated committee to address safety challenges and opportunities in the aquatic industry.

The committee is intended to consist of representatives from key stakeholders including aquatic facility owners & operators, local government leaders, private agencies, and community groups, reflecting a collaborative approach to addressing aquatic industry safety issues.

“We know that the aquatic industry provides significant benefits to the community but recognise there are some gaps we need to address. The establishment of the Queensland Aquatic Industry Safety Committee marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to improve the consistency of safety standards in the aquatic industry.” said Paul Barry, Executive Director of Royal Life Saving Queensland.

“We know that the aquatic industry provides significant benefits to the community and want to ensure we continue to do this at the best possible safety standard available.” Said Mr Barry.

Tim Goward, Manager Major Venues – City of Gold Coast, emphasised the importance of a high level of safety and compliance at aquatic facilities and welcomes the approach by Royal Life Saving Society – Queensland in bringing the industry together to improve safety. 

Mr Goward highlighted the positive impact of aquatic facility safety assessments conducted as part of the strategy. He remarked, “The safety of aquatic users is paramount and should be a high priority for all aquatic facilities and managers. This committee will be a great avenue for the industry to collectively improve by sharing valuable insight, recommendations, learnings and best practice.”

Royal Life Saving is extending an invitation to all agencies, organisations, and individuals in the Queensland aquatic industry who are interested in bettering aquatic industry standards and safety. To express an interest in attending, please complete the Expression of Interest form (Link) and return by COB Monday, 13 May 2024.

Resources:

https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/74722/Water-Safety-Strategy-Final.pdf

Media and Committee Contacts

Nikki Thornhill

State Manager Royal Life Saving Society – Queensland