Government response to the IGEM review of Victoria’s water safety arrangements

In Victoria, significant work has been undertaken over the last 30 years to reduce water related injuries and deaths. These efforts have been successful in achieving a long-term decline in drownings since the 1990s, with the crude drowning rate reducing from 1.4 drowning deaths per 100,000 in population in 1997–98 to 0.67 in 2014–15. However, since 2011, this progress has slowed and there have sadly been higher numbers of drowning fatalities in recent years both in Victoria and around the country.

In response to the increase in drowning deaths and the expiry of the Victorian Water Safety Strategy 2016‑2020, in 2021 the (then) Minister for Police and Emergency Services convened a government-led Water Safety Taskforce (‘the Taskforce’). The Taskforce commissioned the development of the Victorian Water Safety Strategy 2021‑2025 (‘the Strategy 2021-25’). With a vision of encouraging more Victorians to safely participate and enjoy recreation in and around water, while reducing the number of drownings and water related injuries to zero, the Strategy 2021-25 has been designed to coordinate efforts across key agencies and stakeholders to achieve better water safety outcomes in Victoria.

However, despite the efforts of government departments, responder agencies, peak bodies, councils, community organisations and the private sector, incidents of fatal drowning remain high.

In 2023-24 to date 50 people have lost their lives in fatal downing incidents in Victoria. High numbers of drowning fatalities in recent years led to the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) commencing a review of Victoria’s water safety arrangements (External link) (‘the Review’).

The Victorian Government is committed to drowning prevention and encouraging safe recreation around water and welcomes the IGEM’s observations, findings, and recommendations. Water safety is a shared responsibility across the community and all levels of government, and this Review provides an opportunity to align effort and drive closer collaboration to lower Victoria’s drowning toll and deliver the outcomes identified in the Strategy 2021-25.

The Victorian Government supports 2 recommendations in principle, does not support one recommendation, and 2 recommendations will be given further consideration. For recommendations supported in principle, consideration will be given to whether additional investment is required, noting that this may not occur immediately and is subject to the availability of funding.

Recommendation 1

The IGEM recommends that the Victorian Government builds on the progress of the Taskforce to establish a coordinating body that has the accountability, membership, and resourcing to:

a. implement the Strategy 2021–25 and monitor progress towards its outcomes

b. assess statewide drowning risks and develop water safety policy to address these risks

c. identify high-priority cross-government actions and ensure their delivery

d. provide visibility and advice to government on emerging risks.

Response

The Victorian Government supports this recommendation in principle.

The Taskforce, established in 2021 as a time-limited body to address the issue of increased drownings and water-related injuries, brought together subject matter experts and representatives from across government and the emergency management sector, including:

Emergency Management Victoria (EMV)
Life Saving Victoria (LSV)
Parks Victoria
Victoria Police
Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES)
Victorian Fisheries Authority
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA)
Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS)
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (DJSIR)
Triple Zero Victoria (TZV)
Department of Education
Department of Government Services
Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV)
Safe Transport Victoria
Ambulance Victoria

The Taskforce successfully led the development of the Strategy 2021-25, which provides a strong, evidence-based series of outcomes and targets to drive decision-making and planning across relevant organisations.

The Taskforce also provided a centralised forum to share information, develop relationships, raise awareness and co-ordinate action across organisations with roles in water safety. The Taskforce has strengthened engagement and improved coordination across the water safety sector, broadening the scope of and participation in projects that were previously single agency-based. An example of this is the establishment of the Coastal Emergency Markers Working Group, which was tasked with considering the issues associated with emergency markers on Victoria’s coastline and developing a business case to address them across agencies and land tenures.

The Victorian Government will now transition the work of the Taskforce to an ongoing Water Safety Coordination Forum, which will be chaired by EMV. The Water Safety Coordination Forum will build on the Taskforce’s work and provide oversight of water safety activities and initiatives across government, including by convening in the lead up to summer and high-risk periods.

Recommendation 2

The IGEM recommends that Victoria Police works with the Taskforce to establish coordinated readiness arrangements to initiate relevant water safety measures ahead of high-risk periods. The arrangements should:

a. specify organisational roles and responsibilities

b. include triggers and procedures for activating the arrangements through the State Control Team (SCT)

c. be flexible to address local and statewide risks

d. consider all relevant public communications, place-based education, regulatory, enforcement, patrolling and rescue methods.

Response

The Victorian Government will further consider this recommendation, noting that Victoria Police is already a participating agency in the Taskforce and will be a member of the Water Safety Coordination Forum.

The Victorian Government considers that coordinated readiness arrangements can be facilitated through the Water Safety Coordination Forum and other existing arrangements in place for departments and agencies involved in water safety already, including:

Emergency Management Team Meetings: A weekly meeting conducted during the summer period between Victoria Police, Ports Victoria, LSV, and all other key regulatory bodies to discuss the deployment of water safety resources, as well as address any issues encountered during the previous week.
Joint Agency Group Meetings: A fortnightly meeting between agencies including Victoria Police, Safe Transport Victoria, the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Parks Victoria to discuss the deployment of enforcement officers.
EMV Marine Search and Rescue (MSAR) Office Meetings: A fortnightly meeting between EMV, LSV, Victoria Police and volunteer MSAR units to conduct incident debriefs and discuss MSAR capability as well as actions to build MSAR capacity.

In addition to these arrangements, LSV is included in SCT meetings. These meetings, chaired by the State Response Controller, are attended by operational agencies such as Fire Rescue Victoria, Victoria Police, the Country Fire Authority, Forest Fire Management Victoria, VICSES, TZV and Ambulance Victoria as well as other Victorian Government departments. LSV is also included in State Emergency Management Team meetings, which are chaired by the Emergency Management Commissioner.

Recommendation 3

The IGEM recommends that the Victorian Government establishes an ongoing process to develop and maintain an evidence-based statewide picture of water safety risk. The process should:

a. be collaborative and involve all organisations with roles and responsibilities in water safety

b. consider demographic, social, behavioural and environmental risks

c. identify data needs and collect data to resolve gaps

d. include data and evidence sharing mechanisms and permissions

e. be used to identify and implement priority actions to reduce drowning risks.

Response

The Victorian Government supports this recommendation in principle, and commits to working with LSV to ensure our water safety arrangements are working off the most up-to-date data.

LSV, a key partner in Victoria’s water safety arrangements, currently invests in data collection and identification and analysis of risk across Victoria, releasing an annual Victorian drowning report that provides population level data on demographic and geographical risks. Victoria tragically experienced its worst drowning toll in 20 years when 63 people lost their lives in 2020-21, with an additional 104 people involved in non-fatal drowning incidents attended by paramedics. LSV continues to collect data as incidents of fatal and non-fatal drowning continue on a concerningly high trend in 2023-24.

The Victorian Government understands that more can be done to regularly share this information across the emergency management sector.

The Water Safety Coordination Forum will consider improvements to data and evidence sharing capabilities across Government.

Recommendation 4

The IGEM recommends that the Victorian Government establish a MSAR operating model to:

a. ensure clear leadership and lines of accountability before, during and after incidents

b. support strategic planning and investment across the volunteer MSAR service

c. increase operational support and preparedness through risk-based capability and capacity development across volunteer MSAR units

d. support a long-term volunteer recruitment and management model.

Response

The Victorian Government will further consider this recommendation.

The Victorian government has implemented a number of improvements to Victoria’s volunteer MSAR operating model since 2016, including the establishment of an MSAR Office within EMV. There is an opportunity to build on this earlier reform work to ensure a robust and sustainable operating model into the future.

EMV will provide advice to the Victorian Government on potential improvements to the current operating model, noting that these options may be subject to funding.

Recommendation 5

The IGEM recommends that Victoria Police, with the support of EMV, responder agencies, and LSV, work together to develop a subplan to the State Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) that clearly articulates roles, responsibilities and arrangements for risk assessment, prevention, operational preparedness and incident control in relation to water-based rescue.

Response

The Victorian Government does not support this recommendation.

The Victorian Government recognises the benefit of clearly documenting and articulating the roles, responsibilities and arrangements for risk assessment, prevention, operational preparedness, and incident control in relation to water-based rescue.

These arrangements are currently outlined under the SEMP as well as numerous Standard Operating Procedures administered by agencies.

The Victorian Government also considers that a SEMP sub-plan is not an appropriate mechanism for documenting and articulating arrangements for water-based rescue as incidents tend to be isolated.

Therefore, the specific statutory requirements, governance arrangements, and authorising environment associated with the development of a SEMP sub-plan are not readily applied to water-based rescue.

However, the Water Safety Coordination Forum will explore opportunities to more clearly articulate existing roles and responsibilities established through existing Standard Operating Procedures and arrangements in a consolidated way.