A N N U A L R E P O R T

04 .05

� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 �ANNUAL REPORT04.05

missiON statement

PROGRAms

PREsiDENTs messaGe

CEO messaGe

NATiONAL aCtIVItIes

BRANCH RePORts

sPORT RePORt

iNTERNATiONAL RePORt

AWARDs

CONTACTs AND sPOnsORs

02

03

05

06

08

12

15

16

18

22

COntentsnatIOnal COunCIl & staff

Patron:

Governor General of Australia,

His Excellency major General

michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, mC

(Retd)

Vice Patron:

Neville Bayfield OAm

President:

shayne Baker

Deputy President:

Alison mcintyre

Councillors:

The Hon. Chief Justice

Terence Higgins ACT

Peter Castle ACT

Peter Wiebe NsW

David macallister NsW

maja Van Bruggen NT

Natasha Fyles NT

John mcClelland QLD

Les mole QLD

Kevin Burrowes sA

Aileen milazzo sA

Alison mcintyre TAs

Jamie mcintyre TAs

David Grant ViC

Norman Farmer ViC

Ross Peters WA

Alex mcKenzie WA

national Directors:

finance - Anthony Bandle

sport - Gray Parkes

International Development

liaison Officer:

The Hon Chief Justice

Terence Higgins

national medical adviser:

Professor John Pearn Am RFD

natIOnal OffICe:

Chief executive Officer:

Rob Bradley

Operations manager:

Justin scarr

finance manager:

Rhonda Groneman

Health & Research

Promotion manager:

Richard Franklin

sport Development Officer:

Penny Hodgers

education & training manager:

Penny Flint

Communications manager:

Julia Bowyer

administration &

finance Officer:

susan minos

fundraising assistant:

Natalie de Ronde

administration assistant:

Betty Girma

Immediate Past President:

The Hon Chief Justice

Terence Higgins

InteRnatIOnal lIfe saVInG ORGanIsatIOns

International life saving

federation (Ils)

President:

Alan B. Whelpton Am

(Australia)

secretary General:

Dr Harald Vervaecke PhD

(Belgium)

COmmOnwealtH ROyal lIfe

saVInG sOCIety

President:

H.R.H Prince michael of Kent

Deputy President:

Neville Bayfield OAm

(Australia)

secretary General:

John Long

Cover Photo: Participants enjoy the water at the inaugural Active Family Fun Day, Blacktown Leisure Centre stanhope NsW, November 7, �004.

4 ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 �ANNUAL REPORT04.05

tHe sOCIety’s Mission

To prevent loss of life and injury in the community with an emphasis on the aquatic environment.

Our mission is achieved through the education of individuals and by dramatically increasing public awareness.

Royal Life Saving is the leading water safety, swimming and lifesaving education organisation in Australia. Royal Life Saving is a nationwide charitable organisation, which has been serving Australia for over 100 years.

water safety Programs providing water safety, swimming and personal survival programs to over one million Australians annually.

Rescue and lifeguarding Programs providing education and training in rescue, resuscitation and the provision of lifeguard services for inland waterways, pools and beaches.

aquatic safety audits and Risk management services for commercial and community aquatic facilities and for home swimming pools.

advocacy and Public awareness advocacy of water safety issues with government, industry and corporate Australia. Promoting awareness of water safety issues through targeted national public awareness campaigns.

� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 7ANNUAL REPORT04.05

Swim and Survive is a national

swimming and water safety

program that has been educating

5-14 year olds for over 20 years. It

aims to ensure that children have

a sound knowledge of how to be

safe when in, on or around water,

as well as skills in swimming,

personal survival and basic rescue.

Swim and Survive is delivered by

qualified instructors in schools

and pools throughout Australia.

The skills learnt in Swim and

Survive give each child the

building blocks to enjoy a lifetime

of safe activity in the water. Some

examples include sailing, body

boarding, snorkelling and rowing.

Such activities are all enhanced

by having basic Swim and

Survive skills.

Swim and Survive develops:

• Swimming technique

• Water safety knowledge

• Water confidence

• Survival skills

• Endurance

Junior Lifeguard Club offers a

unique alternative for those who

love the water and who want

more than swimming lessons.

Junior Lifeguard Club keeps

children interested and active

in aquatics, especially quick

learners and those between levels

or programs. It is perfect for

those who thrive in an energetic

learning environment.

Junior Lifeguard Club members

work to develop and improve

swimming and other aquatic skills

with an emphasis on:

• Swimming and lifesaving skills

• Fitness

• Lifesaving knowledge and education

• Community service

• Leadership and teamwork

• Lifesaving competition

Bronze Rescue is a program

which includes the six lifesaving

awards that make up the rescue

and bronze strands. The most

recognisable of these is Bronze

Medallion which is seen as an

international benchmark for

lifesavers. The program aims

to build knowledge and skills

in rescue, personal survival and

emergency care. These skills are

highly regarded in the wider

community; they may even lead

to or enhance a lifesaver’s chance

of starting a career in aquatic

recreation.

The Bronze Rescue awards include:

• Dry Rescue

• Wade Rescue

• Accompanied Rescue

• Bronze Star

• Bronze Medallion

• Bronze Cross

swIm anD suRVIVewww.swimandsurvive.com.au

JunIOR lIfeGuaRD Clubwww.juniorlifeguard.com.au

bROnze ResCuewww.bronzerescue.com.au

wateR safety anD

HealtH PROmOtIOn

Infant Aquatics is a water

familiarisation program for

infants under three years of age

and their parents and carers.

Together, the infant and parent

explore the key components

of water familiarisation, water

safety, early buoyancy and

swimming development, whilst

being supported by a qualified

instructor.

Infant Aquatics provides and

promotes positive movement

experiences which will influence

your child’s outlook on physical

activity for the rest of their

life. This all takes place in a fun

environment in which you and

your child play together.

Infant Aquatics has six key

strands:

1. Getting wet

2. Keeping balance

3. Breathing

4. Basic kick and arm action

5. Going underwater

6. Staying afloat

Keep Watch is a public awareness

and education campaign aimed

at arresting the toddler drowning

rate in Australia. Targeting the

parents and carers of children

in the 0-5 year age bracket, the

program focuses on four key

safety points, which when used

in conjunction, can effectively

prevent toddler drowning.

The four key points for Keep

Watch are:

sUPERVisE YOUR CHiLD

Be within arms reach of the your

child at all times when they are

in or around water

REsTRiCTiNG ACCEss

Create a barrier between the water

and your child. Check the barrier

on a regular basis to ensure it is

functioning properly

WATER FAmiLiARisTAiON

Familiarise your child with water.

Enrol in an Infant Aquatics class.

Check out the water with your

child when you first arrive and

familiarise yourselves with the

environment

LEARN REsUsCiTATiON

Enrol in a resuscitation course.

Update your resuscitation skills

annually.

PROGRAm DEsCRiPTiONs

Infant aquatICswww.royallifesaving.com.au

keeP watCHwww.keepwatch.com.au

� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 �ANNUAL REPORT04.05

at a state and national level

choose to cease working for the

organisation to pursue other

prospects – all the best to

mr Les mole.

This Annual Report provides an

insight into the collective energy

and commitment of staff and

volunteers throughout the nation

who continue to assist Royal Life

saving position itself as the premier

provider of water safety education

and research in Australia.

The achievements highlighted

throughout the report

demonstrate the strong

commitment of our staff,

supporters, state and Federal

Governments to reduce the

drowning toll, improve safety

in and around the water and to

encourage Australians to enjoy the

many activities that are on offer

throughout our wonderful country.

shayne bakerNational President

This Annual Report provides an insight into the collective energy and commitment of staff and volunteers throughout the nation who continue to assist Royal Life Saving position itself as the premier provider of water safety education and research in Australia.

On behalf of the National Council of the Royal Life Saving Society Australia it is my pleasure to present the Annual Report for 2004 - 2005. Royal Life Saving continues to experience growth, development and achievement of targets across all programs and activities.

ROYAL LiFE sAViNG sOCiETY OF AUsTRALiA natIOnal PResIDent

sHAYnE BAKER

the year began with

the celebration of 100 years of

lifesaving through the Victorian

Branch of Royal Life saving at

the Centenary Ball hosted by

murray Thompson mLA. The

night showcased the fantastic

contribution of the volunteers in

clubs, as well as

the dedication

of members to

educate and

train the wider

community on

safety in and

around the

water.

many observers

are interested

in the next 100 years of Life

saving Victoria, with the alliance

between surf Life saving and

Royal Life saving to form Life

saving Victoria. Whatever

the outcome, it will be done

without Norman Farmer at the

helm. Following a long and

memorable career with the

Victoria Branch, National Council

and the international Life saving

Federation, Norm has decided

to pursue fresh challenges and

we wish him every success for

the future.

in January the Australian Pool

Lifesaving Championships moved

to Brisbane and all competitions,

officials and

spectators

were able to

experience the

warm hospitality

on offer in the

sunshine state.

The weather was

warm, the food

was great and the

competition was

hot. Congratulations to the NsW

team on taking out the Teams

championships. Congratulations

also to the President of Royal

Life saving Queensland, mr John

mcClelland, on the wonderful way

that the event was managed and

for providing outstanding support

and recognition for the army of

officials involved in the event.

The event also represented the

first activity in a series of events

planned in �00� to celebrate

the Centenary of Lifesaving

in Queensland.

To date we have seen the launch

of an outstanding testimony

to the past 100 years with the

book launch, the Australian

Pool Lifesaving Championships

and the announcement of the

‘Queensland Lifesaver of the

Century’, an award shared by

ms Gwen Welford and mr Bruce

Campbell. This award was

presented by the Queensland

Governor, ms Quentin Bryce.

To conclude the year, Queensland

will host an international

Lifeguard Conference and

Resuscitation symposium in

October �00� followed by the

Centenary Ball (in conjunction

with the Royal Life saving Annual

General meeting)

Coincidently, the Centenary

in QLD has also seen another

character from Royal Life saving

The year began with the celebration of 100 years of lifesaving

10 ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 11ANNUAL REPORT04.05

the generous support of Royal life

saving ambassadors sam Riley, Elka

Graham, michael Klim (and mum

Ewa) in this year’s campaigns and

promotions.

the active family fun Day

promotions conducted in several

states during the

summer have

also allowed us

to work closely in

partnership with

a number of key

aquatic centres.

Royal life

saving has

succeeded in

diversifying our

income stream

through the

establishment of

successful sponsorship, licensing

and fundraising programs. We

also work closely in partnership

with the Commonwealth

Government, particularly with

the support of the Department of

Communications, iT and the Arts

and the Department of Health

and Ageing.

The support of sponsors

and partners is gratefully

acknowledged – sony Computer

Entertainment, the Coca Cola

Australia Foundation, Pfizer

Australia, Qantas, Nivea sun,

Harcourt Publishing, James

maxwell (Peter

maxwell &

Associates),

Hasbro, Zoggs

and Laerdal.

The National

Branch Team

has never been

stronger and

the quality

of the work

and successful

collaboration

with Branches

is being widely recognised.

Among a number of tributes to

Royal life saving throughout the

country was the awarding of our

website www.swimandsurvive.

com.au with the Australian

sport “information Technology”

Award for the third time in

four years.

my personal thanks to our

dedicated and talented staff of

Justin scarr, Rhonda Groneman,

Richard Franklin, Julia Bowyer,

Penny Flint, susie minos, Penny

Hodgers, Natalie de Ronde and

to trainee Betty Girma and Brad

morris (honours student).

The past twelve months have

been notable as significant

milestones for Royal life saving

being the Centenaries of Victoria

(�004) and Queensland (�00�)

and as the Golden Jubilee for the

Hong Kong Life saving society

(�00�) and ten years since the

formation of the international

Life saving Federation (iLs).

in closing a very successful year

i would like to thank my state/

Territory Executive Director

colleagues and President shayne

Baker and the National Council

for their guidance and support

during a very exciting time for

Royal life saving.

Rob bradleyChief Executive Officer

The new RLSSA National Strategic Plan “Collectively Stronger - 2005-08” was approved at the October National Council meeting

It may have escaped some but 2004-05 marked 110 years of Royal Life Saving in Australia. During that time with our help many millions of Australians have enjoyed the aquatic environment safely and productively.

CEO annual RePORt 2004 -05

Royal life saving continues to show the way in

water safety and is the architect

and lead agency in delivering the

majority of objectives within the

new National Water safety Plan

�004-07 launched by minister for

the Arts and sport, senator Rod

Kemp last December.

minister Rod

Kemp has

proven to

be a great

supporter of

water safety

and was

instrumental in

the Coalition

�004 Water

safety Policy

which will

provide an

additional $10

million for water safety over

the next four years.

The additional Government

support will assist Royal life

saving make a major contribution

to the continuing reduction

in the drowning rate and to

maintaining a high standard of

water safety program and service

delivery. Two exciting initiatives

being implemented currently are

the Remote indigenous Pools

Program, being undertaken with

our Northern Territory Branch and

the Culturally and Linguistically

Diverse (CALD) programs

targeting

Chinese,

Vietnamese

and Arabic

communities

being

implemented

in Victoria,

south Australia,

Queensland

and NsW.

From the

National Branch

perspective the

groundwork undertaken during

the past five years in developing

operational, strategic and

financial platforms has certainly

allowed Royal life saving to

move forward confidently into

the future. The new Royal

life saving National strategic

Plan “Collectively stronger

- 2005-08” was approved at

the October National Council

meeting and now provides

direction during this important

phase of our development. it is

no accident that the drowning

and injury rates of the “at risk”

demographic groups targeted by

Royal life saving programs and

services are at historical lows.

Over recent times Royal life

saving has been wonderfully

supported by our sponsors.

This year marked the sixth year

in our partnerships with Pfizer

Australia in promoting the keep

watch program and with sony

Computer Entertainment whose

colourful characters Jak and

Daxter have made the swim

and survive program come alive

for over 700,000 of our young

participants.

increased media exposure,

advertising and publicity have

been a key in successfully raising

public awareness of Water safety

issues and we are very grateful for

The Coalition 2004 Water Safety Policy will provide an additional $10 million for water safety over the next four years.

1� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 1�ANNUAL REPORT04.05

Media coverage of Royal

Life Saving and our

programs has continued

to grow over the past

12 months, marking the

third successive year of

increased coverage in

print, radio and TV.

meDIa COVeRaGe Of RoYAL

LiFE sAVinG

Royal life saving society of australia has

enjoyed a 41% increase on print media coverage over the

past three years, and a �0% increase in radio and TV coverage

over the same period.

Going into the �004-�00� year our goal was to increase the

previous years coverage total by 10%, which would have

equated to coverage valued at $�,1��,��4.�0. We have

surpassed this to gain a figure of $4,1��,7��.�� worth

of coverage.

There has also been a significant increase with our radio

and TV coverage. The �004-0� financial year period saw an

increase of 7� radio and TV items from the previous year

figure of 7�7.

Royal life saving has built strong relationships with the media

which has seen over 70% of all national media releases distributed

being picked up by various media outlets. We are committed to

working toward an ongoing increase of coverage of Royal life

saving and our programs across print, radio and television.

OPeRatIOns busIness UniT

The past year has seen many achievements across the operations portfolio, particularly in the areas of water safety education, aquatic risk management and research and health promotions. The operations business unit has again focused on project planning, teamwork and developing effective Royal life saving networks across all operational areas.

swim and survive promotion this year focused on the concept of ‘active family fun

Day’s’. seven of these activities were conducted throughout Australia, with the inaugural

event held at Blacktown Leisure Centre, stanhope with an estimated attendance of over �000

people. The swim and survive ‘active family fun Days’ are a series of promotions conducted

at Royal life saving Endorsed Aquatic Facilities and the focus is on promoting swim and

survive in order to drive registrations into the program, encouraging healthy, active, and

fun participation of families in aquatic activities.

in April, the Water safety Program Coordinators from Royal life saving Branches attended

a two day workshop which included a professional development session on project

management, in addition to insightful discussions on each of the Water safety programs.

much of the discussion focused on further development and improvement on the programs

and promotional strategies.

The Infant aquatic program is gaining pace and continuing to be adopted by aquatic venues,

particularly by those that already conduct swim and survive. With the support from Nivea

sun, the Junior lifeguard Club program received promotional product support to encourage

new clubs to start up. As a result, many of the Branches have new programs starting for the

upcoming summer.

After months of hard work by the national review

committee, the Swimming and Lifesaving Manual

5th Edition was released in September 2004. The

new manual was well received and features many

innovations, including a Companion Website to

support instructors and candidates through the

Bronze Medallion.

WATER sAFETY PROGRAms

14 ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 1�ANNUAL REPORT04.05

tRaInInG the new Community

Recreation Training Package was

endorsed in November �004 and

will ensure consistently high

standards of aquatic safety related

competency across the industry.

Royal life saving Branches will

continue to provide vocational

education and training outcomes

whilst maintaining the traditional

award structures including Royal

life saving Pool Lifeguard Award

and Bronze medallion.

A pilot course titled Resuscitation

Online was developed and

implemented in partnership

with the NsW branch and the

NsW Department of Education.

Resuscitation Online provides web

based simulation and assessment

activities and is part of the Royal

life saving e-learning strategy.

aquatIC RIsk mANAGEmENT

the aquatic Risk management Working Party

commenced development of

additional Guidelines for safe

Pool Operation in Private,

Body Corporate and Hotel/

motel swimming Pools. These

guidelines will expand the

organisations reach into aquatic

risk management. The working

party was expanded to include

representatives from across

Australia. This group continues

to guide our services in areas

such as swimming pool safety

assessments, industry safety

advice and the provision of

reliable information to Coroners.

meDICal COmmiTTEE

Professor John Pearn ,

the Royal life saving National

medical Advisor chaired the

Royal life saving medical

Advisory Committee meeting and

represented Royal life saving

on the Australian Resuscitation

Council. The medical Committee

consists of Professor John Pearn,

Professor Danny Cass, Dr Gerry

meijer, Dr John Gall and Richard

Franklin, and met on two

occasions to discuss Royal life

saving medical issues and policies.

ReseaRCH & HealtH

PROmOTiON

the keep watch website

(www.keepwatch.com.au) was

revamped and now includes video

clips from the Northern Territory

about water safety, fact sheets for

parents and materials translated

into four languages (Korean,

Vietnamese, Chinese, and Arabic).

in late April a focus group with

the Vietnamese community in

south Australia was held to discuss

water safety issues. This focus

group has led to the development

of a water safety project focusing

on the provision of First Aid

and Resuscitation courses in

Vietnamese, as well as providing

information to parents and older

Vietnamese-Australians.

Richard Franklin undertook

the evaluation of the swim

and survive program. After

over twenty successful years

the evaluation aimed to collect

valuable information from key

customers and set the direction

for future developments. The

evaluation found that more

promotion is required to ensure

that Australians are aware of

and can access the program.

The Royal life saving research

committee funded three

research projects. These grants

were awarded to Branches who

proposed a range of research

activities investigating various

water safety issues.

The 2004 national Drowning

Report showed �77 people

drowned in water related

accidents in the financial year

�00�/�004. This figure represents

an 11% decrease on the five year

average. the national Drowning

Report continues to be an

important tool for identifying

risk factors and communicating

prevention messages to the media

and community.

During the past year Richard

undertook a number of reports

for the Australian Water

safety Council. These included

investigations into water safety

activity in Australia, water safety

issues of importance to health

departments, and rural

water safety issues.

Keep Watch continues to be an important area for health promotion at Royal Life Saving and the past year saw the creation of a number of new resources.

1� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 17ANNUAL REPORT04.05

new sOutH wales

The New South Wales Branch continued to expand its service provision throughout NSW resulting in a significant increase in participation rates by more than 30% on the previous year.

a staggering 287,679

certificates were issued to

successful candidates, providing

them with valuable lifesaving

knowledge and skills.

At the start of �00�, the NsW

Branch conducted a review of

its regional services to ensure

the entire state had access to

the educational resources of

the society. it became apparent

that injury and drowning within

Aboriginal communities exceeds

that of the non-Aboriginal

population.

The NsW Branch established a

mobile indigenous Training Unit

for the murdi Paaki region to assess

and implement programs specific

to the needs of the indigenous

population. The mobile skills

Centre works in partnership with

government agencies, community

organisations, and the sport and

recreation industry among others

to fulfil its aquatic and safety

activities. special thanks to the

NsW Department of Education and

Training whose capital support saw

this initiative become a reality. The

professional infrastructure of the

Branch now includes a Head Office

in sydney, with Regional Offices

across the state.

�004-�00� has been a busy year

for the NsW Branch. The projects

below are a snapshot of some of

its activities:

• e-Resuscitation – This initiative

accommodates demand for

flexible training options for

teachers by providing access

to an online training and

accreditation system. it is

anticipated that this initiative

will become more widely

available over the next 1�

months.

• Vocational education & training

The advent of the National

Community Recreation Training

Package now provides those

in the industry with an ability

to obtain formal qualifications

that are recognised across

industries and provide

individuals with broader

employment options and the

ability to advance their careers.

• The swim and survive endorsed

swim school – With the support

of sponsors such as the Coca-Cola

Australia Foundation and sony

Computer Entertainment, the

NsW Branch anticipates even

greater participation rates in �00�.

• Cultural and linguistically

Diverse Communities – Along

with the indigenous skills Centre

mentioned earlier, the Branch

conducted specific programs for

the Chinese and Arabic community

so they can enjoy aquatic

recreational activities safely.

There were many other

achievements for the NsW

Branch this year, too numerous to

mention here, and i look forward

to the �00�-�00� year with great

expectation. sincere thanks to

the New south Wales Board of

Directors, Volunteers, staff and the

New south Wales Government for

their support and dedication to

the society’s aims and objectives.

Lastly, i would like to thank the

National branch staff and my

colleagues from the other state

and Territory Branches for their

support over the past 1� months.

David macallister

Chief Executive Officer

BRAnCH REPoRTs

austRalIan CaPItal teRRItORy

The ACT Branch of Royal Life Saving continues to exert its strong influence and leadership in water safety education in the Australian Capital Territory.

the aCt branch enjoys

an extremely close working

relationship with austswIm,

since austswIm’s formation in

1��1. For over �� years it has

provided training programs

for students at the University

of Canberra and the Canberra

institute of Technology. The

Branch has been a strong

advocate of vocational training

in an Aquatic Facilities

management Diploma being

offered by the Canberra institute

of Technology since �00�.

The ACT Branch has worked

closely with NsW, QLD and

National Branches to continue

to deliver a consistent training

and licensing package for all

our VET programs.

Priority for the year was

consolidation; we saw our role

within the ACT to continue to

develop in the areas of drowning

prevention through swim and

survive and keep watch. We

recognise that more can be

done in this area!

Our innovative programs

continue to be highly regarded

by educational institutions, the

aquatics industry and the general

community within the ACT.

• swimming and Lifesaving

• Toddler Drowning Prevention

“Keep Watch”

• Resuscitation and First Aid

• Aquatic Rescue

• Pool Lifeguard Training

• swim Teacher Accreditation

• Backyard and Commercial Pool

safety Audits

These programs make up the core

components of our “drowning

prevention strategy”.

in October �00� the ACT Branch

will hold its inaugural Charity

Ball. it will be a premier event on

the ACT calendar. This has been a

huge exercise and i will take this

opportunity to thank Rod Holt

and all involved in the organising

of this prestigious event!

The support and assistance that

all other state and Territory

Branches have offered the ACT

has been much appreciated

and invaluable.

To Rob and his team at the

National Office, i offer my thanks

for the support shown to me

and the ACT Branch.

Peter Castle

Executive Officer

1� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 1�ANNUAL REPORT04.05

queenslanD

During 2004-2005, the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland celebrated

100 years of community service

this historical milestone

has been highlighted by a number

of significant events, and the

volunteers and professional staff of

the society in Queensland, must be

congratulated for their continued

commitment to saving lives.

One single outstanding feature

of the past twelve months has

been the highest ever recorded

participation rate in training

programs, with over �0,000

Queenslanders registering for

our activities. since participation

records have been maintained,

almost 1.� million Queenslanders

have now been involved in Royal

Life saving training programs.

Two outstanding volunteers

were recognised during �00�,

with both Bruce Campbell and

Gwen Welford presented with

the award of “lifesavers of

the Century”. The awards were

presented by Her Excellency, the

Governor, ms Quentin Bryce AC,

at Brisbane’s Government House.

The australian Pool lifesaving

Championships were hosted at

the Chandler Aquatic Centre in

January �00� and again the New

south Wales side proved to be

too strong for the opposition

and were the overall pool

champions. The Queensland

sharks will be looking forward

to both the National and World

Championships in melbourne,

Victoria next year.

in February, RLssQ released a 100

year history book and over �000

copies have been published and

distributed at no cost. The history

book is a remarkable document,

which includes the lives and

times of many Queenslanders.

This publication is now utilised

by many schools throughout

the state, as a text with intense

pedagogical value for history

studies and reference. The history

book has also been distributed to

a number of Council libraries.

Our learning and education

centre at The Plantation has been

a key strategy to increasing our

participation numbers, and this

unique facility has crystallised to

be the jewel in the crown for life

saving in Queensland.

As with many modern day

businesses and organisations,

the rate of change continues to

evolve. The society in Queensland

has recorded an exceptionally

successful Centenary birthday and

we look forward to the next 100

years of water safety.

les mole

Acting Executive Director

nORtHeRn teRRItORy

2004-2005 was an exciting year for the Northern Territory Branch. Some major staff

changes, an update to our office and the increase in programs being run meant a very

busy year for all involved

Having run a variety of

programs in every major centre

and most regional centres across

the Territory Royal life saving

- northern territory (Rlssa-

nt) has shown its commitment

to providing water safety

information to all Territorians.

Royal life saving-nt has

continued to operate and

promote the Water safety

Awareness program across the

Northern Territory, which sees

children under � receiving free

water safety sessions. A large

percentage of school children

have also participated in swim

and survive, first aid and bronze

Rescue awards.

Royal life saving-nt held displays

in the community promoting

our programs and water safety.

During water safety week

2004 we visited over �0 schools,

preschools and childcare centres

giving children the opportunity

to learn about water safety. Our

Community Health sessions for

new parents and their babies

have been extremely rewarding

in alerting new parents to the

aquatic dangers that may face

their young children as they grow.

The sport side of our branch has

grown with an increase in the

number of members participating

in Lifesaving as a sport. We also

had strong teams that represented

the Northern Territory

participating in the Australian

Pool Lifesaving Championships

and the Arafura Games.

in early �00� the Northern

Territory Branch started work on

a remote pools project, working

with indigenous communities to

help them run safe self-sufficient

swimming pools. This project has

seen the recruitment of a Darwin

based Remote Pools Officer who

has helped these communities

with the maintaining of their

pools as well as ensuring Royal

Life saving society Australia

programs are being actively run

in these communities.

The Northern Territory

Branch would like to take this

opportunity to acknowledge

the help and support we receive

from all staff at the National

Branch as well as staff from our

other Branches. i would also

like to thank the staff in the

Northern Territory Branch, our

trainers and volunteers for all

their efforts, thank you.

natasha fyles

Executive Director

�0 ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 �1ANNUAL REPORT04.05

sOutH austRalIa

This year has been both busy and productive with the South Australia Branch continuing to focus on Water Safety education and training.

water safety talks to

parent groups and requested

visits to libraries, Vacation Care

Programs and Primary schools

increased due to the concentrated

efforts of the Development

Officers and enabled the Aquacode

to be delivered at a time when

water activities were at their peak.

Infant aquatics, swim and

survive and bronze Rescue all

performed well throughout the

year. swim and survive continues

to lead in popularity and is widely

accessed through the annual

Vacation swimming Program,

Primary schools in metropolitan

and country areas and through

Endorsed swim schools which

have increased in pleasing

numbers this year.

The swim and survive ‘active

family fun Day’ in November

�004 provided a highlight for

community members in the south

at the Noarlunga Leisure Centre.

Over 400 children enjoyed the

opportunity to be involved in

fun aquatic activities and learn

lifesaving and first aid skills.

A positive outcome was the

increased interest in participation

in the swim and survive program.

The ability to ‘save a life’ in an

emergency situation was tested by

a person who gained their bronze

medallion in Vacswim �00�. Karly

Harris provided the ultimate gift in

a rescue attempt in April this year

and highlighted to the community

the value of our program.

safety audits for public swimming

centres were conducted for the

first time by sA branch staff at

several pools. The Vocational

Education and Training courses

continue to be in demand and

delivery of first aid, Pool lifeguard

and bronze medallion expanded to

rural areas throughout the state.

in conjunction with the National

Office, the sA Branch commenced

a Vietnamese Community Water

safety Campaign. To date,

community consultation has

taken place and water safety

issues of particular concern to

the Vietnamese community

have been identified. We look

forward to the implementation

of the campaign in �00� and the

opportunity to address these

issues through a media campaign

and community activities.

i look forward to the coming

year with our future goals for

the branch including:

• Gaining greater access to

children in all primary and

secondary schools and providing

them with the opportunity for

water safety education

• Expanding our resuscitation

and first aid courses to the

community, particularly in rural

areas, indigenous populations

and CALD groups

• increased safety audits for public

swimming centres throughout

the state.

The successes achieved in �004-

�00� were possible due to the

efforts of the enthusiastic staff

team at the branch and the

volunteers throughout the state.

Thank you for your commitment

and dedication.

Thank you to state and Territory

Branches for your assistance

throughout the year and sincere

thanks to Rob Bradley and his staff

for the support and assistance

provided to the sA Branch.

aileen milazzo

Executive Officer

The Tasmanian Branch continues to focus on providing accessible water safety education and training for all Tasmanians.

tasmanIa

we continue to promote

water safety to the younger

population through the swim

and survive and Infant aquatics

programs and these have all seen

a marked increase in participation.

This will ensure our children acquire

the skills and knowledge to make

them safe and secure around water.

sCHOOl VIsIts

An increased number of schools

both Government and non-

Government have requested

water safety presentations over

this period. As a result there has

been an increased interest in

the Rescue strand.

swIm & suRVIVe

The Branch has been working very

closely with Pool Operators and

smaller swim schools in promoting

awareness and increasing

participation in swim & survive.

During the year four more Centres

became Endorsed swim schools

and this should continue for

the coming year. The Education

Department is still our main client

with an increase in Levels �, � &

7 being issued as a result of their

school swimming program.

safety seRVICes

Again this area has shown growth

through the year with many pools

undergoing the audit process.

There has also been an increase

in Councils’ participation in

Assembly Licensed Pools.

During the year a very successful

Pool Operators Course was

conducted by Western Australia

Branch; lifting the standards

in public swimming pools

within the state.

Two Pool Forums were held in the

North of the state with about �0

people attending. Guest speakers

such as Warwick Waters talking

on the Guidelines for safe Pool

Operation, Rob Bradley talking

about the Australian Water

safety Council and Alistair Thom

giving a presentation on the Pool

Audit system were well received

by the group. Once again thank

you to these speakers for making

these days very successful and

lifting the profile of RLssA.

COmmunIty COuRses

Community Courses have again

continued to grow with all

scheduled courses being fully

booked. A successful initiative has

been the introduction of more

“tailored courses” – eg combined

Bronze and First Aid and Pool

Lifeguard and First Aid.

aCtIVe famIly fun Day

A very successful Fun Day was

held in Launceston at the

Windmill Hill swim Centre

in November with numbers

exceeding expectations. Two and

a half thousand people attended

the day. many thanks to Julia and

Penny, from National Branch, and

the sponsors for a fantastic day.

The Branch also conducted an

active fun Day in the rural

community of mathinna in the

North East of the state with half

the population attending the day.

my sincere thanks go to Rob

Bradley and staff for their total

support over the year.

Jamie mcIntyre

Executive Director

�� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 ��ANNUAL REPORT04.05

westeRn austRalIaThe Royal Life Saving Society of Western Australia

(RLSSWA) pursues the aim of the Society by providing key activities in the focus areas of

Education, Participation and Capacity Building.

Royal life saving-wa researches aquatic incident and

injury trends to establish focus

areas for intervention programs.

swIm anD suRVIVe

Royal Life saving has established

a network of Endorsed swim

schools by working in close

contact with local government,

community and private sector

groups. We have developed a

collaborative approach to the

delivery of swimming and water

safety education across the state,

with particular attention to

culturally and linguistically diverse

communities who are more at

risk of drowning.

COmmunIty lIfesaVInG

Community Lifesaving engages and

delivers direct lifesaving services

to the community. These services

are provided through Event safety

and Event management services,

Lifesaving sport and Public

Relations activities.

This year the multiplex Avon

Descent has adopted the Don’t

Drink and Drown message which

will be promoted throughout

the event. This campaign seeks

to raise awareness of the risks

associated with combining

alcohol and aquatic activity.

COmmunIty HealtH

The Community Health

department has worked

collaboratively with a number of

community and industry groups

to achieve our aim of reducing

drowning in at-risk populations.

Priority populations targeted this

year included toddlers and parents

via keep watch and PoolWatch.

The Watch Around Water – Pilot

Program for Public swimming

Pools was trialled this year in 1�

aquatic centres throughout WA

with resounding success.

water safety in the bush is a

community-based project developed

by a consortium of stakeholders

in rural health, farm safety and

water safety from WA. This pilot

project promotes water awareness

for children and their parents on

remote stations and farms.

safety RIsk manaGement

As part of the safety Risk

management program safety

services provides expert advice

where death or injury results from

aquatic activity and Coronial inquests

or legal proceedings are commenced.

HOme POOl InsPeCtIOn PROGRam

in �004-0� safety services undertook

inspections on residential swimming

pools and spas to determine the

compliance of the pool barrier to

the relevant Regulations.

tRaInInG anD eDuCatIOn

The Home Pool Operations Training

Course has been added to our suite

of courses for �00�-0�. it offers a

general understanding of how the

pool operates and the equipment

installed and will detail the changes

to the pool fencing regulations

effective from December �00�.

HelPInG lIfesaVeRs In sInGaPORe

We are currently developing

an exchange program with the

singapore Life saving society (sLss).

mr ian Brown (manager of

Operations) recently presented

a paper at the 1�th Annual sLss

Lifesaving seminar in singapore. mr

Brown indicated, “The exchange

program is a valuable tool to

share training ideas with another

lifesaving organisation and to learn

from their experiences.”

Extracts taken from RLssWA

website

VICtORIa With an increase in training programs and lifesaving awards, a patrol and rescue service on designated waterways, 100 year celebrations of Lifesaving in Victoria and the creation of Life Saving Victoria, it has been one very busy and exciting year for the Victorian Branch.

the Victorian Government’s

“Play it safe by the water”

program continued this year and

the Victoria Branch continued to

be a key partner in the program

delivering a broad range of

aquatic activity projects.

PublIC awaReness

The �00�-�004 Victorian Drowning

summary was launched by

Olympic Gold medallist, Brooke

Hanson during October. in the

twelve months from July �00� to

June �004, 47 people lost their

life through accidental death by

drowning in Victoria. keep watch

was the focus of a promotional

campaign to all Victorian

maternal and Child Health Nurses,

Kindergartens, Child Care Centres,

and Pool and spa businesses.

The Royal life saving Bravery

Awards Ceremony at Government

House in October recognised eight

acts of bravery by people who

rescued or attempted the rescue

of persons in difficulty in aquatic

environments. Congratulations

and thanks to all recipients.

eDuCatIOn & tRaInInG

in excess of ��,000 swim and

survive certificates and logbooks

were issued and swim and

survive welcomed numerous

new facilities to the program

throughout the year. Workshops

introduced over �00 staff to the

program from these facilities.

in excess of �,�00 Infant aquatics

Program Certificates have been

issued during this year.

The Branch linked with 1� Junior

Lifeguard Clubs across the state

and the advance bronze Rescue

Carnival was a feature event of

Youth Week celebrations.

The seventh consecutive year of the

Open Water Learning Experience

(OWLE) Education Program saw

primary and secondary school

students participate in a range

of fun activities in open water

environments.

There was a growth in Aquatic

industry Training this year with

3333 Pool lifeguards trained

and an additional 14,�0� people

trained in Resuscitation and First

Aid qualifications.

lIfesaVInG Club seRVICes

Twenty eight affiliated patrolling

lifesaving clubs patrolled the

waterways across Victoria last

summer. The Clubs completed a

successful year of operation under

at times difficult circumstances.

VIetnam

mr Alistair Thom again visited

the Furama Resort Danang in

Vietnam during August to train

the lifeguards from two local

Resorts. This beneficial partnership

continues to spread the water safety

messages into the local community.

safety seRVICes

The Branch remains committed

in leading the Guidelines for

safe Pool Operation initiative,

which provides training and risk

management services to public

swimming pools. The Branch assisted

in the provision of safety advice to

many of the new aquatic facilities

being constructed in Victoria.

leaDeRsHIP

The Victoria Branch would like to

thank its board, staff, volunteers and

supporters, all of whom contributed

to a reduction in drowning and injury

through an increase in education,

training and rescue services.

A special thanks to Norman Farmer

who resigned in march, The board

and staff wish to acknowledge

Norm’s dedication and passion for

Lifesaving in Victoria.

warwick waters Acting Chief Executive Officer

�4 ANNUAL REPORT 04.05 ��ANNUAL REPORT04.05

The annual Competition

Handbook review was conducted

following the �00� APLC. This

review included the adoption

and incorporation of the revised

iLs rulings from February �00�.

Thanks to Barb morgan, Anni

Gardiner, Frances Evans and mitch

Hannaker for their input.

The Junior Barras successfully

attended the �00� Arafura Games in

Darwin in may with the silver Barras

attending a July Training Camp

conducted in Ballarat, Victoria.

The National sport Committee

continues to work closely

with the AsDA to improve

its relationship and acquire

recognition for lifesaving at a

National level as a sport.

Royal life saving continues to be

represented at the international

level through Greg mcLennan on

the iLs sports Commission and

as Chair of the Commonwealth

sport Commission.

Penny Hodgers

National sport Development Officer

Gray Parkes

National Director of sport

INTERNATIoNAL DEVELOPmENT

aID RePORt

this past year saw great

progress in lifesaving development

throughout many countries in

the international Lifesaving

Federation – Asia-Pacific Region.

the Royal life saving society

australia continues to be a

supporter, sponsor and friend to

lifesaving agencies in the region.

Activities of the past year include:

• in April our first Australian

Youth Ambassador Bronwyn

Curnow from Victoria traveled

to suva, Fiji for a nine month

project aimed at assisting fiji

life saving in its activities.

Australian Youth Ambassador

is an Australian Government

funded program which sends

young Australians on projects

throughout the Asia-Pacific.

• Royal life saving continued

its support of the thai life

saving society by providing

training resources including

new Laerdal manikins. The

TLss aims to become a member

of the international Life saving

Federation and has grown

significantly in the last couple

of years.

• Royal life saving-VIC

continues to support lifesaving

development in Vietnam. Norm

Farmer visited representatives

in Danang province with

the aim of establishing a

Vietnamese lifesaving agency

in the coming years.

• Royal life saving has been

liaising with The Alliance for safe

Children, a child injury foundation

based in Bangkok regarding

support for drowning prevention

programs throughout Asia.

The coming year will see

a strengthening of our

commitment to international

Development with activities

planned in Bangladesh,

Thailand, indonesia, Vietnam

and Fiji. Also, Royal life saving

will continue to contribute

to lifesaving development

internationally via the iLs

Development Aid commission.

sPORT RePORt

all members of the

Junior, silver and Aussie Barras

were present and benefited

from the excellent facilities and

professional coaching. An official’s

workshop was also conducted

with representatives from sA,

QLD, NsW, ViC and WA.

The annual National sport

Committee Planning meeting

was conducted in July �004

to review the RLs sport Plan.

Representatives from sA, ViC,

NsW and WA were present and

provided valuable input into the

�004-�00� sport Plan.

Two National Competitions were

conducted this year with the

Grand Prix held in Runaway Bay,

QLD in July/August �004 and

the Australian Pool Lifesaving

Championships (APLC) held in

Brisbane in January �00�. Both

competitions were extremely

successful with a number of

National records broken at both.

The total number of competitors

at the APLC rose from 1�� in �004

to 1�� in �00�. Competitors from

the UK and NZ were also present

at the APLC with a return visit

from NZ scheduled for �00�.

Following the introduction from

iLs of one team from each country,

the inaugural united Royal life

saving society australia/surf

life saving australia Australian

Lifesaving Team competed at the

World Lifesaving Championships in

Viareggio, italy in september �004.

Royal life saving was represented

by Gray Parkes (Coach), Anni

Gardiner (Asst manager), sarah

Windsor, Jenny Parry, Kate

Krywulycz, and Peter Court. The

team was successful in coming

1st in the Overall pointscore with

many individual bests to celebrate.

The new National Coach and

manager were appointed in

October �004 for a � year term.

They are Coach: Gray Parkes and

manager: Anni Gardiner. Gray

and Anni were to travel with

the Aussie Barra team to south

Africa for the �00� south Africa

National stillwater Championships.

Unfortunately Gray was unable to

attend the tour and Nicole Tolev,

the newly appointed silver Barra

Coach for �00�, ably took Gray’s

place. The tour was an incredible

success with a reciprocal invite

extended to south Africa to attend

the APLsC in �00�. silver Barra and

Junior Barra Coaches and managers

were appointed following the �00�

APLsC. They were as follows:

• Junior Coach: Tony stanley

(NsW) Junior manager: Rozlyn

Grey (NsW)

• silver Coach: Nicole Tolev

(WA) silver manager: mitchell

Hannaker (ViC)

�004-�00� also saw the marked

increase in the number of media

articles relating to Pool Lifesaving

and RLssport, in particular those

covering the Australian Pool

Lifesaving Championships. Thanks

must go to Julia Bowyer, National

Communications manager for her

expertise and advice in this area.

Three nationally organised Level 1

Officials courses were conducted

over the year with �� participants. in

addition, Tasmania Branch hosted a

level 1 coaching course in December

�004 for their members with Peter

Evans, the current silver Barra coach

leading the course in Hobart.

in Junior Participation in pool

lifesaving there was the successful

implementation of the Telegames

schools program in Victoria, and

the continued success of over �0

Junior Lifeguard Clubs in WA.

2004-2005 started with an Intensive Training Clinic which was once again conducted at Runaway Bay, QLD and held in conjunction with the inaugural Royal Life Saving Society Australia Pool Lifesaving Grand Prix.

�7ANNUAL REPORT04.05

sPOnsORs The Royal Life Saving Society Australia would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support.

ROYAL LiFE sAViNG awaRD fIGuRes

The 2004-2005 fiscal year has resulted in over 920,000 lifesaving awards being issued by Royal Life Saving branches.

�� ANNUAL REPORT 04.05

infant Aquatics �174� �.4

Water saftey 1����1 17.�

swim and survive �1�4�0 ��.�

Rescue ���� 0.�

Bronze ��44� �.�

Advanced Lifeguard �7� 0.0

Resuscitation 1�0�0� 1�.1

Lifeguard �1�� 0.�

instructor ���0 0.�

First Aid �1174 �.4

instructor of Water safety 1401 0.�

tOtal 922979 100

• Figures from WA

for the �004/�00�

period were

unavailable at time

of print. Figures

from WA for the

period �00�/�00�

have been

incorporated.

D I R E C T O R YROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY AUSTRALIA

National Office

PO Box 558

Broadway NSW 2007

Suite 201 3 Smail St,

Broadway NSW 2007

Telephone (02) 8217 3111

Facsimile (02) 8217 3199

Australian Capital Territory Branch

PO Box 266

Deakin West ACT 2600

Unit 1, Royal Life Saving House

26-28 Napier Close Dickson

ACT 2600

Telephone (02) 6260 5800

Facsimile (02) 6260 5900

New South Wales Branch

PO Box 753

Gladesville NSW 1675

129 Victoria Road, Gladesville

NSW 2111

Telephone (02) 9879 4699

Facsimile (02) 9879 4644

Northern Territory Branch

PO Box 1229

Darwin NT 0801

Sports House, Waratah Crescent

Fannie Bay NT 0820

Telephone (08) 8981 5036

Facsimile (08) 8941 8442

Queensland Branch

PO Box 1093

Capalaba D.C. QLD 4157

The Plantation, 1204 New

Cleveland Road, Gumdale

QLD 4154

Telephone (07) 3823 2823

Facsimile (07) 3823 2423

South Australia Branch

PO Box 2075

Hilton SA 5033

175 Sir Donald Bradman Drive,

Cowandilla SA 5033

Telephone (08) 8234 9244

Facsimile (08) 8352 6162

Tasmania Branch

PO Box 112

Lindisfarne TAS 7015

4 Franklin St Lindisfarne

TAS 7015

Telephone (03) 6243 7558

Facsimile (03) 6243 7793

Victoria Branch

PO Box 265

Oakleigh VIC 3166

43 Dalgety Street

Oakleigh VIC 3166

Telephone (03) 9567 0000

Facsimile (03) 9568 5988

Western Australia Branch

PO Box 28

Floreat Forum WA 6014

McGillivray Road, Mount

Claremont WA 6010

Telephone (08) 9383 8200

Facsimile (08) 9383 9922