Learn to swim and save a life this month with SEAL
07 August 2023
As we head into the warmer months, there’s no better time to brush up on pool safety and ensure you and your children know how to swim.
Ipswich City Council will host a series of free water safety programs for all Ipswich residents this spring and into summer for children and adults to help raise awareness about water safety around swimming pools and spas, along with the importance of pool and spa compliance and fencing.
Community, Culture, Arts and Sport Committee Chairperson Councillor Andrew Fechner said swimming was an important life skill for all ages.
“Council encourages adults who haven’t learned to swim to get involved in one of these programs - it could save a life,” Cr Fechner said.
“In September, we will also be running a safety promotion that aims to raise awareness about the importance of the correct construction, maintenance and operation of pool and spa fences and gates.”
For Ipswich residents, council’s SEAL Water Safety and Swim Program are offering four free 30-minute lessons for children aged five and under.
These will be held at Goodna Swim Centre from Friday 25 August and Bundamba Swim Centre from Wednesday 4 October. Lessons will run one day per week for four weeks.
SEAL, in conjunction with the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland, will be running free Adult Learn to Swim lessons from the 4 to 8 December at Orion Lagoon, Springfield. Lessons will run for five consecutive days, with each lesson being one hour.
The SEAL Pool Safety Program was started in January 2021 in response to child drowning statistics, which showed pool drownings as being a leading cause of death for children under the age of five in Queensland.
SEAL is designed to encourage active adult and child participation in programs such as learning to swim, supervision, CPR and pool fence compliance, in order to educate the community to the benefits of water safety and help save lives.
For more information on the Current Pool and Spa Safety Standards, SEAL Program and Learn to Swim bookings visit Ipswich.qld.gov.au/seal