AS the Murray region tackles a swim instructor shortage, a survey has been put out to help find what the barriers are for people wanting to get their accreditation.
NSW State MP for Murray Helen Dalton has partnered with Royal Life Saving Society NSW in an attempt to try and combat the swim instructor shortage in the area.
“They informed me that a big problem is often swim instructor courses are only available in big regional centres, like Wagga,” Mrs Dalton said.
“We really need to improve access to swim safety courses in the Murray region. A lot of people don’t know this, but drowning is just as common in inland areas as it is on the coast.”
According to Royal Life Saving Australia, NSW has had 34 drownings this summer so far. With half of these occurring inland, the need for more swimming instructors in the region is apparent.
Mrs Dalton has found the community has responded well to the survey so far.
“Most respondents are in favour of courses being closer to home, and have asked for funding support to undertake the course,” Mrs Dalton said.
“We will inform the Minister of Sport of the results of this survey and work with the Royal Life Saving Society to push for more funding.”
“In the meantime, I’d urge anyone interested in this topic to fill out our survey.”
If you are interested in completing the survey, the link can be found on Helen Dalton’s Facebook page.
