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Water safety focus for Safer Napier

Published: 24 October 2017

We're Water Safe - a fun, free event featuring fire engines, face painting and the national Police dive squad - is on this Saturday at Perfume Point. 

Safer Napier News2

We're Water Safe - Safer Napier's fantastic family fun day - is on this Saturday, 28 October at Perfume Point. Showtime is between 10.00am and 1.00pm.

Twenty-plus community organisations will be in Ahuriri to promote some serious safety messages - 'Swim between the flags' and ‘Slip, slop, slap and wrap’ - but with a ton of activities for young and old alike. It's the continuation of last summer's water safety campaign, that resulted in a safer swimming guide for Napier's beaches (available from the Napier i-SITE, accommodation providers and Napier City Council).

The campaign also reiterated a couple of essential messages. Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) Harbourmaster Martin Moore says the wearing of life jackets, and the need to have two forms of communication in a waterproof bag or container while out on the water are “absolute musts”.

“We’re an island nation, surrounded by water so it’s important we stick to some basics that will help us survive in an emergency situation. Children really get the message, and most adults are pretty good about wearing life jackets now. However, some people still don’t see the risk, even though 60% of fatalities were due to people not wearing life jackets– just think of the tragedy at the Kaipara Bar last year.”


HBRC Harbourmaster, Martin Moore: “We’re an island nation, surrounded by water so it’s important we stick to some basics that will help us survive in an emergency situation. Sixty per cent of fatalities in the water are due to people not wearing life jackets– just think of the tragedy at the Kaipara Bar last year.”

Another theme for the day is to encourage the Napier 'family' to be healthier. Safer Napier is working with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and Salvation Army, which will be promoting the healthy 'Choice As' sausage sizzle.

Complementing this promotion, free drinking water will be available (people can fill their own bottle, or use recyclable cups). The event is sugar-sweetened drinks free. There's an exercise element - a free bouncy castle with a nautical theme - and free wi-fi for Instagrammers and selfie-takers.

The Breeze Hawke’s Bay breakfast show host Martin Good, one of Safer Napier’s family violence ambassadors, will MC the event. It's weather dependent so check the NCC or The Breeze Hawke’s Bay Facebook pages if the weather is looking dicey.

Safer Napier is an award-winning programme, an accredited International Safe Community with more than 40 agencies, organisations and groups working together to improve community safety in Napier. Napier City Council is responsible for coordinating the programme: Napier Mayor Bill Dalton is its ambassador.

Safer Napier’s partners include Accident Compensation Corporation, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, Health Hawke’s Bay, Housing New Zealand Corporation, Ministry of Social Development, Napier City Council, Napier City Business Inc, NZ Automobile Association, Fire and Emergency NZ, NZ Police, NZ Red Cross, Te Puni Kōkiri, RoadSafe Hawke’s Bay, Roopu a Iwi Trust and Te Kupenga Hauora – Ahuriri.

When: We’re Water Safe is on Saturday 28 October at the Hardinge Road end of Perfume Point, Ahuriri. The event runs between 10.00am and 1.00pm.

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