November marks Water Safety Month in New Zealand, arriving at exactly the moment it matters most. Summer is the country's deadliest season for drowning, accounting for 43% of all drowning fatalities each year, and Water Safety New Zealand along with its sector partners are using this month to rally the entire community around a single message: "We All Play a Part."
The theme is deliberately broad. It speaks to iwi-led initiatives and surf lifesaving clubs, to school swimming instructors and backyard pool owners, to volunteers on patrol and parents at the water's edge. Drowning prevention cannot rest on any one organisation or group alone, and the cumulative effect of small, consistent actions across a community is what actually moves the needle.
"Summer is a time of celebration and connection, but also when we need to be most vigilant," says Gavin Walker, Acting CE at Water Safety New Zealand. "An average of 37 New Zealanders drown each summer, and we're three times more likely to drown around Christmas. These are confronting statistics and Water Safety Month is a reminder to reflect and commit to positive change."
The urgency behind those words is real. As of 31 October, 54 New Zealanders had drowned in 2025, six fewer than at the same point in 2024, but a figure Walker is quick to put in perspective. Last year 74 people drowned in New Zealand, and every one of those deaths is considered preventable. This year has also brought additional concern around a rise in female drownings and higher-than-usual figures in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
"The need to make smart decisions around water is more critical than ever, the power is in prevention," Walker says. "Drowning prevention is complex, no single group can solve it alone. By recognising the role each of us plays, we can create a safer, more connected water culture in every region."
The 2024 statistics paint a sobering picture of who is most at risk and what circumstances tend to prove fatal. Of the 74 people who drowned that year, 73% were adult males, representing 54 of the 74 deaths. Nine in ten craft-related drownings involved no lifejacket, 88% of all victims were adults, and nearly 20% of deaths occurred at locations already identified as high-risk.
Throughout November, the campaign will bring forward stories of people and organisations making a genuine difference, from communities taking a lead through iwi-based programmes to individuals whose quiet, steady efforts protect those around them. The campaign's visual identity, built around puzzle and jigsaw imagery, reinforces the point: every piece, no matter how small, connects to a larger picture of water safety across Aotearoa.
"This month is about celebrating the big and small actions that save lives," Walker says. "Whether you're a parent teaching your child to float, a volunteer patrolling the beach, or a local business supporting water safety education, every action showing Kiwis doing the right things at the right time, every part matters."
There are several practical ways to take part. People are encouraged to share stories, photos, or videos on social media using the hashtag #WeAllPlayAPart or by tagging @WaterSafetyNZ. Stories can highlight a personal commitment to water safety, celebrate a local champion, whether an individual, a club, or an organisation, or simply document a pledge to take small steps that keep whānau safer around water this summer. Water Safety New Zealand will help amplify the stories that come through. Campaign assets are available to download free at watersafetynz.org.
Water Safety Month is a national initiative led by Water Safety New Zealand in collaboration with a broad coalition of sector partners, including Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, the Department of Conservation, Drowning Prevention Auckland, Mountain Safety Council, Maritime New Zealand, and others. Together, they work to reduce drowning rates and promote safer behaviour across the country's beaches, rivers, lakes, and pools. Keeping communities safe in, on, and around the water is, by its very nature, a shared responsibility.
