Settlement Guide: Water safety in Australia

Australia has over ten thousand beaches and summer is the best time to enjoy them.

Australia has over ten thousand beaches and summer is the best time to enjoy them Source: Flickr Walter

But many new Australians aren't aware of the dangers. So, how do you stay safe in the water? Almost 300 people drowned last year in Australia. Migrants and international visitors tend to be at high risk because they're not familiar with the environment, when it comes to big waves or rips, for example. Scott Harrison is the Community Awareness and Multicultural Programs officer at Surf Life Saving Queensland. He and his team have worked hard in the last few years to reduce the number of visitor and migrant drownings.