Speech to the Water Safety New Zealand conference

Thank you for inviting me to open your conference today, and thank you Pio Terei for the welcome.

Can I acknowledge here today Alan Warner, the Chairman of Water Safety New Zealand.

We also have international guests from Australia, the USA, Japan and Singapore, including Dr Teo Ho Pin. Dr Teo is a Member of Parliament in Singapore, and he is also the Mayor of North West Community Development Council and the Chairman of the National Water Safety Council.

I want to tell you today a little bit about water safety and what it means to me and to the government.

New Zealand is an island nation, and a big part of our culture is based around the water. Swimming in the ocean or at the local river, lake or swimming pool is a part of the Kiwi way of life.

But there's still too many New Zealanders who can't swim well enough, and because of that we have a shocking rate of drowning. In fact drowning is the third highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand, after road accidents and falls.

Twice as many New Zealanders, per capita, lose their lives every year through drowning as compared to Australians. Our annual drowning toll is one of the worst in the developed world.

The worrying trend is that recreational drownings are on the rise. These are the preventable ones that we should be worried about.

There's also certain groups in society at risk. Pre-school children always need to be supervised around water, and us blokes don't have a great record either. 78% of drowning victims in this country are male.

That's why the work you do is so important, and why this conference is a great initiative.

Can I tell you a bit about my role, and the government's role when it comes to water safety.

As the Minister of Internal Affairs I look after gambling and the Lotteries Grant Board, which is a major funder of water safety programmes.

This year, Water Safety NZ has received $2.4 million from the Lottery Outdoor Safety Committee. Water safety is a big priority for this lottery committee - last year they gave out over $6 million to this area, including grants to Surf Lifesaving NZ and the Royal New Zealand Coastguard.

In total this year we're giving away $166 million to the community from the proceeds of gambling. Not that I'm encouraging gambling, but every time you buy a lotto ticket you're actually helping worthy causes in the community like this one.

Coming to events like this one is one of the best parts of my job. I get to see the difference that lottery funding makes to so many different communities and organisations.

And we know that the funding does make a difference. I gave you some grim figures before on our drowning rate, but it's worth pointing out that things have improved. In the mid-1980s our drowning rate was double what it is now.

I remember the debate around my family kitchen table in the 1980s when our swimming pool had to be fenced for the first time. Once it was installed though it really gave us peace of mind, and now my own kids are swimming in that pool.

In large part this improved safety record is thanks to the work Water Safety NZ has done, with the help of lotteries funding.

I want to tell you one programme in particular that is making a real difference. The John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation is running free learn-to-swim classes for young people in Manukau. So far 8,500 kids have gone through the programme.

As a parent of three young children I realise how hugely important it is that kids learn to swim, and are confident in the water from an early age.

Water safety is a big issue in my part of the world. I'm the MP for Otaki which has some great beaches and a lot of visitors to our shores. We've also had our fair share of boating tragedies over the years.  

This weekend I'm going to be at the launch of a new Coastguard boat in Waikanae, which again has been helped by lottery grants.

Another of my roles is Associate Transport Minister and you might be interested in a lifejacket issue we're looking at. At the moment the rule is small boats have to carry lifejackets, but we're considering a change so that they have to be worn at all times unless the skipper says otherwise.

I think it could be a sensible change, given that many deaths on small boats have been avoidable.

The message I want to leave you with for this conference is that we can make a difference. We know that because the work you have done over the years has saved many lives.

We know that's its not easy, and there's no one simple solution. It involves everyone - the government, the community, parents and families working together. But it can be done.

Thank you for all the work you are doing on behalf of New Zealanders, and I hope you have a very successful conference.