Tasmania chosen as home of new National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue

A national centre of excellence for flood and swift water rescue has been established in Tasmania and is expected to attract trainees from around the globe – so they can learn how to serve their communities when natural disasters strike.

Surf Life Saving Australia National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue announced for Tasmania. Picture: Shane Daw

Tasmania is home to a new National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue, where people from around the country and the globe will travel to receive crucial training to help them serve their communities when natural disasters strike.

The major new initiative was announced at the Surf Life Saving Tasmania (SLST) state conference in Devonport on Saturday.

SLST president Stuart Paine said the organisation, which is largely reliant on volunteers, had begun working on improving its flood rescue capabilities in the wake of the 2016 floods that ravaged large parts of the state.

“We’re able to employ a professional in that area [of flood and swift water rescue] that can be based out of Hobart, make sure that we’re ticking all the boxes with the right credentials, the modules that we’re putting people through,” he said.

Surf Life Saving Australia National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue announced for Tasmania. Picture: Shane Daw

“Our idea is that people will fly into Hobart and be trained up. And eventually, the centre of excellence … can get to a level where we’re training other people that then can train their own members in their own states.

“We’ll be at the forefront of making sure that everyone around Australia is using the correct personal protective equipment, following the right training modules, acting correctly in an emergency situation and making sure that only the right people are sent to an emergency situation.”

The centre of excellence and masterclass program will be delivered out of SLST’s Hobart office. The training exercises will be conducted in the Picton, Judbury, Huon, and Derwent rivers in the South and the Mersey and Forth rivers in the North-West.

The Surf Life Saving Australia Foundation will provide $150,000 in funding for the centre each year for five years.

“Swift water rescue is an add-on to the skills that you get between the flags,” Mr Paine said.

“So you can’t just grab anyone who’s between the flags and send them out to do it. They still have to do the training courses to be eligible to help in an emergency situation.

Surf Life Saving Australia National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue announced for Tasmania. Picture: Shane Daw

“We’re already fielding inquiries outside of Australia from people who want to come and be trained under our modules and what we do.”

Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis said the establishment of the centre of excellence in Tasmania was “recognition of our local talent and experience”.

“Having Tasmania as the location of the Surf Life Saving Australia’s Centre of Excellence for Flood, Swift Water and Rescue recognises that the talents of SLST are highly sought after by other Australian jurisdictions as well as other countries,” he said.

Originally published as Tasmania chosen as home of new National Centre of Excellence for Flood and Swift Water Rescue