Blacktown City Council launches Drowning Prevention Strategy

October 21, 2020

Aquatics / Education / Safety /

Continuing its commitment to provide a safe environment at its aquatic and recreation centres, Blacktown City Council’s new Drowning Prevention brings together a number of ideas, programs and initiatives into one cohesive driver to achieve the safest possible aquatic environment.

Launched in August, Blacktown City Mayor, Tony Bleasdale stated “drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.

“Council’s Key Venues division is committed to offering award winning aquatic and leisure facilities and services to the community in a safe environment.

“This strategy not only highlights the initiatives that are currently implemented at our venues, but also establishes a clear path for the future goals of Blacktown City Council and Key Venues in maintaining safe environments for our community.”

The strategy reinforces Blacktown Council’s commitment to water safety and preventable drowning through the strategic goals of: education, advocacy and support; partnership and network building; and environment and technology.

As well as developing industry partnerships, initiatives in the strategy include:

• Pip’s Safe Summer - an educational pantomime and comic strip that launched in 2004 as Surfees Safe Summer and will be reinvented while retaining key water safety messages for preschool and school aged children
• Aqua Learn to Swim - Council’s own learn to swim program launched in 2015 will continue to evolve and grow
• Exploring the opportunity to expand the Poseidon Drowning Detection System currently in use at Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope to the Council’s other aquatic centres
• The Key Venues lifejacket initiative - 400 lifejackets made available across the City’s pools for free public use
• Review of multi-language safety signage as communities evolve

For more information on Blacktown City Council go to blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Services/Aquatic-and-leisure-centres/Our-pools-and-leisure-centres

Image shows Blacktown City Mayor Tony Bleasdale (centre) at the Blacktown Aquatic Centre.

6th October 2020 - Blacktown City Council re-opens its outdoor pools for summer

6th October 2020 - Royal Life Saving concerned over significant fall in swimming lesson enrolments

18th September 2020 - Royal Life Saving and Surf Life Saving Australia report males account for 80% of all drowning deaths

4th September 2020 - Extension announced for AUSTSWIM Swim Centre Recognition

20th October 2020 - Outdoor pool at Orange Aquatic Centre reopens for summer with COVID-19 conditions

9th October 2020 - Works completed at redeveloped Ashfield Aquatic Centre

24th September 2020 - Aquatic, fitness and sport facilities headed for membership crisis

11th September 2020 - Blue Mountains aquatic facility closed after attendance by positive COVID-19 case

30th July 2020 - New research has potential to reduce risk of drownings at Australian aquatic facilities

21st July 2020 - Blacktown City Council partners with NRMA Insurance to shade playgrounds

20th July 2020 - Blacktown International Sportspark delivers quarantine training ‘bubble’

5th December 2019 - AUSTSWIM receives funding boost to combat multicultural drownings

3rd September 2019 - Blacktown City Council welcomes breastfeeding at its aquatic centres

22nd March 2019 - Quayclean secures Blacktown Key Venues contract

15th October 2018 - Blacktown Key Venues secures Australasian Leisure Management Local Government Communication and Marketing Award

14th November 2017 - Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope marks 10 years of Poseidon Drowning Detection System

25th May 2017 - Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope named best in ‘Fitness Services’ category

13th February 2017 - Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope reaches 12 million visitors landmark

12th January 2017 - Blacktown aquatic centres help western Sydney residents beat the heat

22nd September 2017 - Free entry to mark openings of Mount Druitt and Riverstone Swimming Centres

7th January 2016 - Mount Druitt Swimming Centre hosts Dive In movies through January

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