The Australian Water Safety Council (AWSC) was officially formed in February 1998 as a result of strong industry consultation and with the support of the Federal Minister for Sport & Tourism, The Honourable Andrew Thomson MP.  The Council acts as a consultative forum comprising the major water safety and related government agencies and focuses on the presentation of key water safety issues to governments, industry and the community.

The Australian Water Safety Council does not represent an additional layer of organisational bureaucracy and does not receive funding directly. The Council provides a collective voice for its member organisations.  It liaises closely with kindred bodies at State, National & International levels.

The AWSC is committed to improving Water Safety in Australia as demonstrated through the production and implementation of two National Water Safety Plans. These plans have generated bipartisan support for Water Safety in Australia and have seen the improvement of Water Safety throughout the country. The AWSC member bodies continue to demonstrate their commitment to Water Safety by directing resources of their respective organisations towards the development and implementation of the Australian Water Safety Strategy.

The AWSC have undertaken five Water Safety Conferences:

• 5 May 1998 at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre
• 22 November 2000 at Canberra Convention Centre
• 22-23 September 2003 at Bondi in Sydney
• 17-18 August 2006 at the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise Queensland
• 15-16 May 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour Sydney

All conferences involved a broad cross-section of the Australian Water Safety Community which included representatives of government departments, agencies and statutory authorities from throughout Australia.

The recommendations and spirit of cooperation engendered at the Conference in September 2003 was incorporated into the 2004-2007 National Water Safety Plan which was released in September 2004.

Recommendations from the 2006 Conference and the AWSC Planning Workshop held in 2007, have been used as the basis for the development of the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011.

Launched on Friday October 10 2008, the Australian Water Safety Strategy aims to achieve a 50% reduction in drowning deaths by the year 2020. This is an ambitious undertaking, but one the AWSC believes is entirely achievable through a strong, collaborative and evidenced based approach.