Royal Life Saving WA’s Peter Leaversuch calls for drowning prevention rethink after free VacSwim entry fee cut

The defunding of a State Government scheme to prevent drownings has drawn the ire of Royal Life Saving WA’s chief executive, who says “more instead of less” is needed to curb unnecessary deaths in State waters. WA Cabinet Minister Simone McGurk on Saturday defended the decision, saying investment in the VacSwim initiative — cut from last week’s Budget — was never an ongoing commitment. Free venue entry for kids taking VacSwim swimming lessons were extended last summer following a spate of child drowning and near-drowning incidents in 2024. But the $960,000 initiative was cut from the Budget, with no new funding allocated to keep the program going. At least 15 people drowned in waters across WA in the past summer, compared with 104 nationally. Mr Leaversuch said the decision highlighted the need for a “better road map” geared towards the prevention of drownings. “We were surprised to hear this, and we’d like to see more, not less, of an investment,” he said. “We can talk about the pool entry fee, but that’s only one bit of it — we’ve got a system to be proud of, but it’s got to evolve. “We’re heading into another summer and we don’t want another tragic one.” He also said it was essential these programs were “relevant (and) meaningful for migrant communities and for disabled communities”. Shadow education minister Liam Staltari said on Saturday the cost at the pool gate — typically just over $5 per child— will be “a real hit to the hip pockets of families” who are already struggling with the rising cost of living. “They should reverse this decision to make it easier for parents and families to access this essential service,” he said. “We know that drownings are on the increase — we know that families want to access VacSwim and other well-loved swimming programs where they can. “That’s why we need to bring the barriers down, it’s about cost-of-living relief, but it’s also about the safety of our kids and of swimmers in general.” Ms McGurk defended the cut, saying the initiative was never an ongoing commitment. “The announcement last summer for free entry for VacSwim over the summer period was a one-off cost-of-living relief mechanism,” she said. “We didn’t commit for that to be ongoing, and that’s why it’s not in the Budget.” Ms McGurk said kids could still access VacSwim lessons through schools or in the holidays, adding that “the beach was free all the time” when questioned about drowning prevention. “We are very conscious of water safety, particularly for children, and also people from diverse backgrounds,” she said.