On The Same Wave

Traditionally speaking migrants, refugees and people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds have been overrepresented in both national and state drowning figures and, as such, have been identified by aquatic safety authorities as a ‘high risk’ group. 

Since January 2010 Surf Life Saving Queensland has been working in partnership with the Queensland Government to help reduce beach fatalities and injuries among the state’s growing migrant and refugee population. With thanks to vital funding, SLSQ launched the On The Same Wave initiative, designed to engage with Queenslanders from CALD backgrounds and provide them with potentially lifesaving surf safety education in their primary language.

The initiative is structured to provide support and education to Queenslanders of all backgrounds, but particularly young men and women from Middle Eastern, African and Asian backgrounds.

The program incorporates –

• Distribution of translated information and posters on water safety in at least 23 languages;
• Education workshops at schools;
• Beach education classes featuring trained lifesavers and lifeguards;
• Information sessions for migrants and refugees;
• Promotion of surf safety messages at community events and festivals.

As part of the program, lifesavers also attend a range of key multicultural events including the World Refugee Festival to directly engage with multicultural CALD communities.

To date the On The Same Wave program has visited more than 100 schools conducting over 250 classroom and beach visits and educating approximately 60,000 beachgoers.

Surf Life Saving Queensland, in partnership with Multicultural Affairs Queensland, a division of Queensland Government, have produced a Multilingual Beach Safety Fact Sheet available for download in more than 20 international languages.  Each fact sheet highlights the importance of swimming between the red and yellow flags and general beach signage information.  Click here to view the languages available.