Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 - Midpoint Update
Australian Water Safety Council
Published: 2026
https://doi.org/10.62977/230111
Toward a Nation Free From Drowning
More than 300 people die from drowning in Australia each year, with many more admitted to hospital, seen in the emergency departments, treated by paramedics, and rescued by lifeguards and lifesavers.
The Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 (AWSS 2030), first launched in 2021, set a bold target to halve fatal drowning by 2030. It provides a high‑level framework for governments, industry, and communities to work together to reduce drowning while allowing flexibility in how actions are delivered.
About the Australian Water Safety
Strategy 2030 Midpoint Update
At the halfway point of the ten-year strategy, a comprehensive review found that overall drowning rates have begun to rise and that several focus areas were not on track to meet the 50 % reduction target. In response, experts from across the country convened in a series of forums, workshops, and a national summit to assess what was working and determine where changes were needed. This feedback shaped a Midpoint Update to the Australian Water Strategy 2030.
The Midpoint Update to the Strategy represents a refined and streamlined framework with a focus on the things that matter most. Importantly, this Midpoint Update introduces three clearly defined National Imperatives:
1. Swimming and water safety skills for all
2. Localising water safety efforts
3. Aligning policies and partnerships for change
These National Imperatives signal where we must focus our efforts to create lasting, transformative impact. Embraced collectively, they provide a unifying agenda that everyone in the water safety ecosystem, from policymakers and practitioners to communities and individuals, can rally behind to reduce drowning by 50% by 2030.
