Applications have opened for a $5 million national water safety program aimed at supporting multicultural communities, refugees and recently arrived migrants across Australia.
The WE SWIM Multicultural Community Water Safety Program is funded by the Australian Government and led by the Royal Life Saving Society Australia. The program is designed to reduce drowning risks, improve access to swimming and water safety education, and address barriers faced by some multicultural communities.
Federal Member for Gellibrand Tim Watts welcomed the funding, saying it would support communities in Melbourne’s west as well as people across the country.
The funding is being offered through several streams. Place-Based Partnerships provide grants of up to $100,000 for local coalitions, while Community Programs offer up to $50,000 for partnerships working on local water safety barriers.
The Pathfinder Ambassadors stream offers up to $10,000 for eligible organisations and up to $5,000 for individuals to share water safety messages through trusted community networks. Emerging Leaders grants of up to $10,000 per event are available to support multicultural leaders aged under 30.
A separate Pathfinder Refugee Settlement stream will support a small number of local pilots that incorporate subsidised, culturally appropriate swimming and water safety activities into existing settlement services. Grants of up to $100,000 are available under that stream.
Royal Life Saving Australia said the program responds to barriers that can include language, cost, cultural factors and unfamiliarity with Australian waterways. The organisation said people born overseas accounted for one in three drowning deaths, while swimming and water safety skills can be lower among some multicultural communities.
Applications for the current funding round close on 24 September 2026, with funded activities generally expected to be completed by 31 May 2027.
The program forms part of broader efforts to improve water safety knowledge and access to swimming education among communities across Australia.
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