Ms OWENS (3:39 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Sport and Minister for Youth. Will the minister update the House on the government’s water safety initiatives?

Ms KATE ELLIS (Minister for Youth and Minister for Sport) —I thank the member for Parramatta for her question. We know that as we come into the warmer months more Australians will be heading into the water. In a country where swimming and water are so important to our way of life, we think it is important that we have adequate water safety programs in place.

Mr Robert interjecting—

Ms KATE ELLIS —I note the member opposite interjecting on this. I think that saving lives and preventing people from drowning is something that we can all agree upon in this place. In the last two weeks alone, we have tragically lost five young lives to drowning in three separate incidents. This is a painful wake-up call to all. The 2008 National drowning report found that 261 Australians drowned last year. Tragically, we know that toddlers are overrepresented in these figures with, on average, over 35 children under the age of five drowning each year in this country and four times that number being hospitalised as a result of water incidents. Many of those suffer permanent brain damage.

I note that just last month members from both sides of the House, and indeed many senators, joined me in launching the Royal Life Saving Society’s Keep Watch program. They gave a commitment at that time to promote these important messages within their own electorates. I encourage all to heed Keep Watch’s key message: when it comes to pool fencing, check it, fix it and watch it. Many families may think that their backyard fence is safe, not realising that fences need maintenance too. We are seeing that, as these fences age, more and more children are getting through them. They are getting under them or they are getting over them. I encourage all members in this House to download and distribute the Royal Life Saving Society’s free checklist to help pool owners inspect their own fences. I can report that this checklist can be found at homepoolsafety.com.au.

Of course, we can and we must do more. The Australian government is providing over $20 million of funding to fantastic Australian organisations like Surf Life Saving, the Royal Life Saving Society and AUSTSWIM to run key water safety programs. In addition to that, in this year’s budget the government was very proud to announce a further $12.2 million to help save lives. This funding will support, in conjunction with Mr Laurie Lawrence, the development and the distribution of a DVD for new parents to reduce drowning injuries and deaths in the zero- to four-year age group. We are determined to work harder and we are determined to work closer with water safety organisations and with state and local governments to ensure that we have the best practices in place.

In closing I would like to acknowledge the brave parents who have lost children in such tragic circumstances but who, despite their own pain, have found the strength to talk publicly about their experiences, what we can do to minimise the risk for other families and what we can do to help save other young Australian lives. We owe it to them to work together to help prevent the heartbreak that comes with the loss of a child through such devastating circumstances. We can all do more to ensure that there are fewer tragedies this summer.