2021 Annual Report

It is my pleasure, as Chair of the Board of Water Safety  New Zealand, to present this annual report.

Drowning is a preventable public health problem. Although overall rates have been trending down on a per capita basis over the last 20 years, our drowning toll remains high compared to other OECD countries. Each fatality comes with a social and economic cost, as well as a life cut short. Many more can suffer a non-fatal drowning incident; often resulting in long-term consequences that leave families and communities devastated.

As the leadership organisation for the water safety sector our focus this year was to finalise and launch Wai Ora Aoteraoa: Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025. The March 2021 launch was a significant day for the whole sector and Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, officially launched the strategy at Te Wharewaka o Pōneke, in Wellington.

The strategy commits water safety sector partners to continue to work together towards common goals with greater impact and efficiency. This alignment will ensure 2 maximum buy-in to the vision and mission of the water safety sector, and will in turn, support sector organisations to incorporate the strategy into their own plans. With a collective responsibility to ensure all New Zealanders connect to and enjoy the water safely, achieving this vision will address the drowning problem in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Water Safety New Zealand and the implementation  of the new sector strategy, is being led by Water Safety New Zealand’s new CEO, Daniel Gerrard. Appointed in  May 2021, Daniel brings extensive experience in the sector in leadership and governance roles both as a CEO and chair of a number of sports organisations and bodies.

The Water Safety New Zealand Board was confident in the financial performance of the organisation during a period of steady stewardship by outgoing CEO Jonty Mills. We farewelled Jonty in December 2020 and thank him for steering Water Safety New Zealand, and the sector, through the development of the new sector strategy. A strategy which essentially endorses Water Safety New Zealands’ leadership role but which is reliant on ongoing close collaboration across the sector for delivery.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the NZ Lottery Grants Board, ACC, Sport New Zealand, our commercial partner Protector Aluminium, and other supporting trusts and foundations, for their ongoing support and investment.

I would also like to thank my fellow Board members for their diligence and significant input. In March 2021 Danny Tuato’o stepped down from the chair and the Board. His contribution to the whole sector has been significant and greatly appreciated by all. Jenny Gill is also stepping down from the Board at this year’s AGM, and her experience in the NFP and water safety sectors will be missed.

Thanks also to Water Safety New Zealand staff, our core members, (Coastguard New Zealand, Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Swimming New Zealand), general members, and our numerous providers and sector volunteers for  your service and commitment to water safety in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Regards Maurice Kidd, Chair

The year started on a high with the announcement that ACC would become the naming partner for our flagship programme, Water Skills for Life. More Kiwis, especially children, need access to lifelong participation in sport and safe water recreation and ACC’s four-year financial commitment will help realise this.

For the second year in a row, and thanks again to ACC with their injection of $500,000 for kaupapa Māori water safety, we were able to invest $2.6m into water safety initiatives through our annual funding round. This investment which is in most cases more than matched by other funders, has enabled water safety providers to make a real difference in their communities, providing much needed skills training and behaviour change programmes, for systemic improvement in New Zealanders knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour around water.

Our focus this year has been the development and launch of Wai Ora Aoteraoa: Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 with a full powhiri by hosts Te Ātiawa ki Te Whanganui a Tara. We look forward to working with our sector partners to implement the strategic actions identified within the strategy over the next five years.

The financial year also ended on a significant note with the United Nations General Assembly adopting a ‘Resolution on drowning prevention’ (April 2021). New Zealand, along with over 80 countries worldwide, including Australia and some Pacific Nations, co-sponsored this historic resolution, which was initiated by Bangladesh and Ireland.

Water Safety New Zealand is proud to support this initiative and is committed to driving change in people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour around water to ensure their safety and enjoyment of New Zealand’s great waterways.

Daniel Gerrard, CEO