2017 Annual Report

Tēnā koutou

It is my pleasure to be working with the Water Safety New Zealand team. We are working hard to create positive social change for all people of Aotearoa which involves educating, empowering and supporting people throughout their life’s journey to have safe experiences when they are in, on or around water.

Water Safety New Zealand is a charity which continues to impact positively and is making a difference to the social and economic problems of drowning. Supported primarily by one of Aotearoa’s statutory grantmakers, the Lotteries Grants Board, and together with Sport NZ, ACC, corporates and trusts, we are providing strategic and transformative giving. We continue to add strength to our water safety community partners by influencing policy, convening sector discussions and work programmes, taking leadership, building knowledge through research and dissemination, and working in collaboration with other grant makers, government, community and business interests.

Our guiding star is the Water Safety Sector 2020 strategy which has set our course since 2015 and continues to keep us focused on our mission. The social and economic cost of drowning far outweighs funding to the water safety sector and we must continue to be innovative and efficient if we are to bring down this country’s high drowning toll with 78 preventable fatalities, 207 drowning hospitalisations and thousands of water related incidents in 2016.

In the past year we have enjoyed strong bonds between sector partners. There is a clear alignment of the importance of a shared vision of water safety and need for collaboration for collective impact. The sector is in accord and remains focused on three main priorities underway for a step change to occur. Led by the Cross Sector Reference Group and driven by Water Safety New Zealand, work is underway on the sector capability review; how data and research will enhance our understanding of drowning solutions; management and delivery of water safety strategies; and social marketing to change behaviour of at risk groups who make up the majority of drowning statistics.

The Board is pleased to report encouraging stakeholder satisfaction, a stable management team, robust investment processes and sound financial management, all of which are detailed in this report.

I thank my fellow trustees for their ongoing support, passion for water safety, professionalism and expertise. We farewelled board members Jane Mitchell and Brent Warner in 2016 and welcomed Michael Bassett-Foss, Surf Life Saving New Zealand delegate and Maurice Kidd, as an independent director to the board.

Nga mihi
Danny Tuato’o, Board Chair

I’ve completed my first year at WSNZ and after a transitional period we have rebuilt the team to ensure we have the right people in the right roles doing great things. I have also travelled extensively, primarily to build strong relationships and to experience first-hand agency activity in the regions.

After a downward trend leading to 2006, drowning fatalities have plateaued while hospitalisations are increasing. An ever changing, more diverse and aging population, broad aquatic participation and increasing pressure on resources are contributing factors to the challenges the sector faces. At the same time, more Kiwi children are coming out of the education system without basic levels of water safety skills.

However, our sector is made up of passionate and resilient people, supported by loyal volunteers who are and will need to continue to be agile and adaptable to meet this changing landscape.

During the year, I made it a priority to meet with all political parties including our Minister Dr Coleman and representatives from Labour, Maori Party, United Future, Greens and NZ First. Key to the conversations were the decline of aquatic education through the school system, the changing drowning landscape and the challenges around the capability of the sector to meet growing and more complex demands.

With our investment into the community of $1.74m for the year, we worked with providers to try and meet these demands specifically reaching out to those most vulnerable and at risk. These include infants, children, youth, Maori, Pacific Peoples and specific male groups.

We received positive feedback from our sector stakeholder survey that we are heading in the right direction. 91 percent were satisfied or very satisfied that we are fulfilling our leadership role, 95 percent considered the sector strategy important or very important and 88 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with levels of their involvement with us.

Other highlights included;

• The continued rollout and uptake of Water Skills for Life.
• A successful Swim Reaper summer campaign generously supported by ACC.
• The establishment of National Infrastructure Agency agreements with key partners focussed on three year sustained funding and relationship management
• A near completed Sector Capability Review.

We worked hard on our policy, research and data agendas. This work forms our evidence base and is critical to our story telling and advocacy, as well as the return on investment and accountability to our funders.

Thanks to our core funders; Sport NZ, NZLGB and ACC. Also our partners, delivery agencies, members and generous sponsors; Sealord, L’Oreal Garnier and Protector Aluminium. We are one team and share aligned values. Thanks to the Board for their support and guidance, and our staff, who all add so much value and are so passionate about the cause and what we do.

We must continue to tell our story better. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at the helm and we have built great relationships and a strong foundation to deliver on our strategic goals. My future focus is simple; deliver positive social change in attitudes and behaviours in, on and around the water. We are not the fun police. I want all New Zealanders and visitors to enjoy the water in whatever way, shape or form they choose.

We’ll focus on our strategic deliverables, including sustainable funding, capability plan implementation, data and research initiatives and cohesive communications with emphasis on social marketing. I believe these will be the step changes required to meet our targets and effect positive change.

Naku noa, na
Jonty Mills, CEO