The Office of Emergency Management is pleased to announce the 2018-19 Water Safety Fund Community Grants program is now open!

Data currently available indicates that there was a 12 per cent drop in drowning deaths over summer 2017/18 when compared to summer 2016/17. Sadly, this still means that 36 lives were lost on our waterways. To reduce drowning numbers further, Water Safety Fund Community Grants are being offered to support community efforts to improve water safety in NSW.

Grants will be provided to successful applicants whose projects increase water safety in high risk geographical locations, population groups and activities. Projects should address one or more of the priority areas identified in Royal Life Saving's NSW Summer Drowning Report 2017-18.

Where a project proposes delivery of swimming lessons, priority will be accorded to projects that build local capacity. This might include, for example, ‘train-the-trainer’ education or by adopting a new or innovative approach.

Further information for applicants including selection criteria and conditions of funding can be found within the 2018/19 Water Safety Community Grants Program Guide.

To help spread the message about Water Safety Fund Community Grants, I would be grateful if you could please distribute the information included in this email throughout your agencies and stakeholder and community networks.

Applications are now open and will close at 3pm on 27 July 2018.

Grants applications can be lodged online via the Water Safety Grants Application Portal.

For further assistance please contact the Office of Emergency Management Grants Unit on (02) 9212 9200 or wsf@justice.nsw.gov.au