Learn how to save a life, including your own
I write to ask all readers involved in boating and watercraft activity to take great care this summer on our beautiful rivers, lakes, harbours, bays and beaches.
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The latest Royal Life Saving Society – Australia report reveals some concerning statistics.
New data reveals that, over a 10 year period, of the 473 people who drowned in boating/watercraft activity, only eight per cent were wearing a lifejacket.
Of the drowning cases: 26 per cent involved alcohol; 59 per cent of those were over the legal limit.
People should be reminded to avoid alcohol when around water. Alcohol impairs judgement and a person’s ability to swim to safety.
It is critical people wear a lifejacket and it is extraordinary how many people who drown weren’t wearing lifejackets.
Our latest report also reveals 31 per cent of the drowning cases involved drugs. You should never take a boat, canoe or kayak out under the influence of drugs.
Never go boating, kayaking, or canoeing alone, always check the conditions before heading out onto the water, and learn how to save a life.
This new study suggests boating and watercraft drowning deaths are on the rise. We ask readers to take great care so they can have a happy and safe summer.
To get more information readers can go to: royallifesaving.com.au
Justin Scarr, chief executive, Royal Life Saving Society – Australia
‘A fairer system of funding emergency services’
I write to inform the community about the positive changes to fund emergency services.
NSW is moving towards a fairer system of funding fire and emergency services, by removing the current Emergency Services Levy (ESL) from insurance policies and replacing it with the Emergency Services Property Levy (ESPL), which will be paid at the same time as council rates.
This will be fairer as all landowners will contribute, not just those with property insurance. It will also make property insurance much more affordable by reducing premiums. The vast majority of insured residential property owners are expected to be better off under the ESPL, with an average saving of around $40 per year.
This reform will help to address the serious issue of underinsurance in NSW. NSW has the highest level of non-insurance of all the states and too many people are at risk of not being able to rebuild their homes after losing everything to fire or flood.
Every other mainland State has already completed the reform. Victoria was the most recent to do so, following a recommendation from the Royal Commission into the tragic 2009 bushfires.
Local governments, who will be responsible for collecting the ESPL, will be fully reimbursed for all reasonable costs associated with the reform.
Finally, let me assure the community that the Government’s consultation process, which began in 2012, will continue as we work hard to deliver this important change which will be fairer for all.
Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations
Funnel-web precautions, fang-you-very-much
Re ‘Your worst nightmare: woman requires four vials of anti-venom for funnel-web spider bite’ (GP, 6/1):
January/February is mating time. Males will crawl for kilometres looking for a female to mate with as females usally stay at their lair. They go for cool places, inside and out. Make sure you don’t leave [anything] on the ground. Check all shoes, washing and beds.
Bring shoes inside and don’t walk outside at night with thongs or no shoes on as they are nocturnal and you will get bitten.