Thank you Justin for that introduction.
I'd like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we are meeting, the Gadigal people.
I also want to acknowledge the Centre for Australia-India Relations for their support in making this exchange possible, and the representatives from the Australian Water Safety Council.
To our ten delegates from India and the members of the diaspora here today, welcome.
I'm very pleased to be here again for this vital exchange where the focus is very much of saving lives.
Australians are famous for their love of water.
Whether it's our beautiful beaches, in-land waterways or local swimming pools, Australia's affinity with water is well known.
Swimming and a lifestyle based in and around the water have become indelible parts of Australia's national identity.
There was already a long history with water.
We now have a better understanding of the significance of the relationship that our First Nations peoples have with water.
And to this emerging understanding we add more.
The beach and the swimming pool are a source of Australia's prized egalitarianism.
Achievement in the swimming pool has given this country heroes like Fanny Durack, Andew 'Boy' Charlton, Ian Thorpe and more.
One of our most iconic pieces of art, by photographer Max Dupain, is of a swimmer on a beach.
It's iconic because swimming is part of Australia's way of life.
And it's been a huge part of my life in Sydney's east where I've seen across generations and communities the many physical and psychological benefits of a life in the water.
That's why I've have been determined to continue the work of making the water safe for everyone.
So that everyone may forge similar connections and enjoy the same experiences.
And that is why the work of Royal Life Saving Australia, and this exchange, is so important.
Royal Life Saving takes on the broader challenge of drowning prevention across all aquatic environments.
This includes our rivers, lakes, backyard pools, and public spaces and with a mission focused on education, supervision, and policy.
Sadly, the number of people who are drowning in this country is rising.
The data is clear.
In 2024-25, that number hit a 30-year high.
People drowned at our beaches and oceans in our rivers and creeks.
They drowned while swimming and boating and idling near water.
They drowned most of all on public holidays and long weekends and in school holidays especially during those long summer months, December and January and all too often when they were far from home.
More than 80 per cent of those who drowned were men.
A third of those who drowned were over 65.
One in three of those who drowned were born overseas.
Most relevant to this forum, almost half of those migrants who drowned in Australian waters from 2009-19 were from India.
Every one of those deaths is a tragedy for those people for their families and for their communities.
And every one of them is a spur to action.
The Australian Government knows it.
Last year, we announced the Multicultural Communities Swimming and Water Safety Program.
It will fund the essential education in water safety that will allow multicultural communities in Australia to feel safe around water.
For migrants who may be uncertain who may be scared to navigate our beaches and rivers and swimming pools the education delivered in that program will give them the skills they need to enjoy the water safely.
It will save lives.
It will allow new Australians to enjoy the same experiences that I've had through a life in and around the water.
To create the same connections.
And to join in an essential part of Australian life.
But our responsibility doesn't end at our borders.
Australia is committed to international prevention efforts.
We were proud to co-sponsor the historic UN Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention.
And through the Australian Water Safety Strategy, we are sharing expertise, training, and research with our partners across the Pacific.
This approach is part of the broader efforts that you will also make today in your discussions of how we can prevent further drownings.
This workshop is designed to do two things: connect high-level stakeholders, policy makers, researchers, and practitioners from Australia and India.
And to support the development of sustainable policies that create long-term change.
We are here to share evidence-based practice and research translation.
The efforts that you make in these rooms will have a tangible impact.
We know that in Australia, the Indian diaspora is over-represented in drowning fatalities, with many community groups and organisations working locally to address this challenge.
While in India, drowning causes the deaths of more than 50,000 people each year.
And that the Government, at national and State levels, in India are taking pro-active steps to address drowning prevention and water safety.
Australia has much to learn from India's scale and innovation, just as we hope our experience can be useful to you.
Through grants provided by the Centre for Australia-India Relations, we are able to bring about exchanges like this.
It is vital work that not only strengthens the relationships between our countries and the Australia-India communities that call both countries home.
It is also work that saves lives.
As Royal Life Saving Society says, 'Anyone can drown. No one should.'
Thank you.