Victoria is putting close to half a million dollars behind efforts to make life safer and more connected for international students, with the Allan Labor Government announcing fresh support for wellbeing, water safety, and community participation projects across the state.
At Life Saving Victoria headquarters in Port Melbourne on Wednesday, Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson revealed that $496,000 in grants will be shared among 16 education providers and organisations, with a focus on helping students from diverse backgrounds navigate life in Victoria—on land and in the water.
Among the recipients is Life Saving Victoria, which is rolling out a new water safety program aimed at international students from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The initiative comes at a time when authorities are concerned about the rising number of drownings in the state—54 in the past year, including 21 from CALD backgrounds. Many lacked basic knowledge of water safety, something the new program is hoping to change.
The program will include demonstrations and beach education sessions across the state, as well as on-campus activations, offering students practical skills that could prove lifesaving.
“International students who stay here provide essential skills and set up new businesses,” said Minister Pearson. “And those who return to their home country stay connected with Victoria, building stronger social and economic ties between our state and key global markets.”
From finance literacy to food security and sports participation, the grants fall under the Study Melbourne Inclusion Program—an initiative launched in 2015 that has now delivered 162 projects worth a combined $7.3 million. So far, more than 235,000 international students have been supported by the program.
The Member for Albert Park Nina Taylor added, “We know Victoria is the best place to study, work and live, making it an ideal destination for international students. These programs are vital to ensure they can make the most of everything we have on offer, including our wonderful beaches.”
The state’s largest services export, international education employs 63,000 people and pumps nearly $15 billion into the economy every year. It’s one of the few sectors that survived the COVID-19 period with government intervention, and with new students now returning in greater numbers, the focus has shifted to their long-term wellbeing and safety.
Melbourne continues to hold its title as the country’s top-ranked student city, recently rated fifth best in the world by global education analyst QS. The state government sees these rankings as a vital part of its pitch to overseas students and parents weighing up where to send their children. Safety and support programs are part of that narrative.
For David Holland, Strategic Adviser for Diversity and Inclusion Outreach at Life Saving Victoria, the partnership with government is about more than teaching how to swim. “We want to empower multicultural Victorians and visitors so they can enjoy the water safely, and participate fully in all that our state and community has to offer,” he said.
The new round of funding also includes projects that focus on practical skills like learning to drive and managing personal finances—two areas that often present challenges for newly arrived students navigating Australian systems for the first time.
The government says this targeted approach to support is part of its broader $53 million Victorian International Education Recovery Plan 2025, designed to help the sector rebound and remain globally competitive.
This new round of support is less about grand strategy and more about the small things that matter—understanding the road rules, knowing what to do in the water, and feeling like there’s a place to belong. As students return to campus and summer approaches, those lessons may well prove more valuable than anything in a textbook.
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😊#Victoria allocates $496K grants to 16 orgs for international student safety & inclusion. 💧 @LifeSavingVic launches water safety programme for diverse students amid rising drownings. 📚 Study Melbourne supports 235K+ students since 2015. #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/IK6yGT39Md
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