Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Months of lockdown, hundreds of thousands of missed lessons and a tragic rise in drowning rates over the last year—we're on a path towards a national tragedy this summer. I've met with so many local swim schools, and that's why we've worked hard to put water safety in the fast lane, reopen pools and get kids back into swim schools with an intensive back-to swim program. Our campaign had thousands of people behind it to ensure we avoided a wave of drownings as we reopen and head back to the beaches, rivers, lakes and pools. We scored a victory when the New South Wales government brought forward the reopening of indoor pools to 80 per cent and when it was moved forward to 70 per cent. Today we've made another massive breakthrough, with the New South Wales government announcing the first learn-to-swim voucher program, helping children aged three to six to access swimming lessons. To all the parents, families, swim schools and community members who got behind my petition, your voices have been heard. We pushed for change and it is now being delivered. It is great news. But drownings for children in the zero-to-four-years age group are up 108 per cent on last year. We need to get this age group back into the pool and into swimming lessons. I encourage the New South Wales government to extend the voucher to our littlest learn-to-swimmers. Let's get kids back to their swimming lessons and put water safety in the fast lane.