Bay of Plenty water Safety Strategy 2019 - 2023 Te Rautaki Haumaru Wai a Waiariki
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Bay of Plenty
water Safety Strategy
2019 - 2023
Te Rautaki Haumaru Wai a Waiariki
Updated 2021
watersafetybop.co.nz
Bay of Plenty Strategy Review
In January 2021, the Water Safety Bay of Plenty governance accompanied with an increase in beachgoers - swimming as
group, and other representatives fromt the sector gathered early as October.
to review the Bay of Plenty Water Safety Strategy. Surprisingly, there had been a decrease in number of
The purpose of the hui was to evaluate the progress of boating-related incidents on our waters, but an increase in
the strategy over the previous 12 months, and identify any swimming-related incidents.
emerging trends to take into consideration based on the Sadly, even with the various lockdown levels and restrictions,
updated preventable drowning statistics for the region. our region still saw eight people lose their lives in our waters
The 2020 year was a challenging one with the nation dealing in 2020, an increase of four from 2019. Nationally, there were
with lockdowns and restrictions on water-based recreational 74 preventable drownings in 2020.
activity. With the international borders being closed, we
observed a spike in watercraft useage around the region,
“ Everyone who plays in, on and around
our waters gets to come home.
“
How are we tracking?
Below are the preventable drowning statistics for the Bay of Plenty region and sub-regions, 2011-2020. What’s most noticeable
is the consistency in preventable drownings year by year with no indication of decline. The Bay of Plenty Water Safety Strategy
is reviewed annually to ensure it’s priority actions actively reflect the drowning data in an attempt to lower our regions downing
rate.
11
10 10
9
8
6 6 6
5
4
20
14
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11
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7 4 4 4
3 3
5 5 5
4 4 4 4 4
2 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1
0 0
20
20
20
14
14
18
18
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18
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Tauranga & Western Bay of Rotorua Eastern Bay of Plenty
Plenty
Key Findings
Below are the key findings from the Bay of Plenty preventable drowning data 2011-2020.
Ethnicity Age Group
Unknown
Pacific 15
Asian
13
Other 11
10 10 9
2 5
Māori 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
NZ European
Our people are
drowning at our
beaches, lakes and
rivers.
ES
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LS
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iN &
ER &
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Ti
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iV S
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O
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ES
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LA
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20WERE
18
ACCiDENTAL
83%
WERE MALES
SWiMMiNG IMMERSiONS
11 6
WERE BOATiNG HAD LiFEJACKETS...
iNCiDENTS BUT WEREN’T WEARiNG THEMStrategy Priority Actions 2021/22
Priority 1
Water Skills For Life
Description The WSFL programme is the new national standard for aquatic education in primary and intermediate
schools. It was developed by WSNZ as a way for kids to have fun while they learn water safety. It moves
away from a ‘learn to swim’ approach and seeks to provide children in school years 1-8 with 27 core skills,
like getting in and out of water, personal buoyancy and what to do in an emergency.
Strategy • Establish relationships with schools.
Manager • Monitor progress against baseline data of the WSFL pilot programme and relay feedback to Water Safety
Involvement NZ & Swimming NZ.
• Assist in developing a more fluid plan for delivery encompassing a greater network of providers with
priority for low decile schools.
Water Safety • Work with lower-socio economic and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori schools.
for Māori • Promote the benefits of the WSFL programme to the Māori community.
Actions to FY • Develop relationships with schools in Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.
2021/22 • Assess and monitor pilot progress based on school feedback.
• Work with local swim providers to assess a relative cost to delivery.
• Maintain a focus on funding for the proposed enhanced collaborative approach to WSFL delivery in
Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty.
• Provide reports and feedback to WSNZ and Swimming NZ.
• Increase number of children going through the WSFL programme.
Priority 2
Messaging and Signage
Description Water safety messaging will be tailored specifically toward each demographic in order to effectively deliver
water safety education. Messaging will be delivered through as many mediums as possible – digital, print,
social media, radio, and events.
Various coronial reports identify a need for increased and/or improved signage at locations of previous
preventable drownings. A working group will be established whose responsibility will be to develop a risk
assessment profile, budget and deployment strategy. Signage deployed will meet international signage
standards and offer the opportunity for community input.
Strategy • Deliver regular targeted water safety messaging.
Manager • Continuously and consistently develop new water safety messaging approaches using different mediums.
Involvement • Analyse campaign performance and make amendments where necessary.
• Coordinate the establishment of a signage working group.
• Work with council teams to assess any synergies present between projects.
• Create a risk assessment profile and delivery plan for signage.
• Engage local community, iwi/hapū for input.
Water Safety • Liaise with local iwi and hapū to receive input into signage design and approval for deployment.
for Māori • Tailor messaging to Māori through understanding of tikanga.
Actions to FY • Broadening reach of water safety messages.
2021/22 • Measure engagement of digital campaigns to assess campaign performance.
• Track attendance numbers at key water safety month events.
• Increase social media following.
• Establish a signage working group.
• Develop a draft plan for delivery of signage proposal to councils.
• Engage local councils to determine if there is synergies between signage projects.
• Engage with the local community to assess thoughts on design and deployment of signage at each
location.
• Coordinate Water Safety Month events by engaging local providers and the wider sector.Priority 3
Stakeholder Collaboration
Description Collaboration between sector stakeholders is pivotal to lowering the Bay of Plenty’s increasing drowning
rate.
Having a regular forum for those involved in aquatic recreational activity to meet, share, and collaborate is
a way of strengthening the collective ability of the Bay of Plenty community to address water safety issues,
analyse campaign performance and make improvements to delivering vital water safety messages.
Strategy • Maintain regular communication with key industry stakeholders.
Manager • Hold regular hui’s as a forum for stakeholders to discuss and collaborate.
Involvement • Maintain relationships with councils to ensure they’re kept up to date with the progress of the priorites
of the Bay of Plenty Water Safety strategy.
Water Safety • Regularly engage Māori community to receive input into more effective ways to reduce the drowning
for Māori rate for Māori.
• Collaborate with WSNZ contracted Māori expertise to better address the problem of an increasing
preventable drowning rate with Māori.
Actions to FY • Act as a connection between different sector groups and organisations.
2021/22 • Hold regular stakeholder hui’s and improve attendance numbers.
• Regular hui’s held with Council members, Coastguard, CBE, SLSNZ, WSNZ, Maritime NZ, local swim
providers, and other stakeholders.
Priority 4
Boating & Watercraft Education
Description Coastguard Boating Education (CBE) is the leading provider of boating education in New Zealand and they
offer a range of courses for all levels of ability. Their flagship course is the Day Skipper course that provides
participants with an introduction to boating and covers boat handling, safety equipment, navigation, tides,
weather, rules and regulations, emergencies, and knots. Uptake of CBE courses in Bay of Plenty is low
compared to the level of boat ownership, meaning there are many unqualified boat skippers on the water.
Coastguard NZ is a charity that provides a national maritime search and rescue service, including operating
a shipto-shore radio service, providing real-time weather reporting and trip reporting. Becoming a member
of Coastguard gives free assistance 24/7 in popular boating areas around the country, like the Bay of Plenty.
Strategy • Continue engagement with Coastguard, Coastguard Boating Education and Maritime NZ to develop
Manager campaigns, events and initiatives aimed at educating boat and watercraft users in the Bay of Plenty.
Involvement • Engage local retailers to assess any scope for collaboration.
Water Safety • Establish Māori trained resource to deliver safer boating and watercraft education in Te Reo Māori.
for Māori • Ensure boating education is tailored toward the Māori community by understand of mātauranga and
tikanga.
Actions to FY • Work with TPOOM to get trained resource relevant to Māori in Eastern Bay of Plenty.
2021/22 • Work with Coastguard to help boost membership numbers and deliver their messaging to the community.
• Assist CBE in running workshops and delivering messaging aimed at increasing the number of skippers
completing educational courses.
• Increase number of sign-ups to boating education workshops and online courses.
• Engage with local retailers and groups to encourage safe watercraft behaviour on our waters.Background
The Bay of Plenty Water Safety Strategy (“The Strategy”) was members as at April 2021 are;
developed over an 18 month period by Water Safety New Shirley Baker (Chair) – Independent
Zealand (WSNZ), with consultation from the local community Chris Emmett – Surf Lifesaving NZ
and providers. The aim being to build a consensus view on Kevin Winters – Councillor, Bay of Plenty Regional Council
what the priority actions for water safety in the Bay of Plenty Antoni Lowe – Water Safety New Zealand
should be. Lee Colquhoun – Te Puna Ora o Mataatua
In 2019 the Regional Water Safety Strategy Manager (“The Catherine McCulloch – Sport Bay of Plenty
Strategy Manager”) was employed and the The Strategy was The role of the governance is to collectively identify priority
finalised and released in November 2019. areas and to plan an approach to water safety education
The Strategy Manager position sits under the Sport Bay of within the Bay of Plenty based on the information provided
Plenty umbrella, and reports to a governance group who by The Strategy Manager.
identify as Water Safety Bay of Plenty. The governance group
he waka eke noa
a canoe which we are all in with no excePtion.
we are all in thiS together.
get in touch! Stay up to date with all things
water safety in the Bay of Plenty
Lowering the Bay of Plenty preventable drowning numbers
requires a collaborative approach with local funders,
organisations and our community to provide the education
and skills for our people to be safe when in, on, or around
our waters.
We want to work with everyone who shares the same
passion for keeping our people safe as we do.
If you want to get involved, or have any questions, please
reach out to Dave White, Regional Water Safety Strategy
watersafetybop.co.nz
Manager on 021 236 1301 or davew@sportbop.co.nz.
Preventing drowningS in our
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