Oasis Aquatic Centre to host Outback Lifesaver program in January 2023

The Outback Lifesaver program will be held at the Oasis Aquatic Centre in mid to late January instead of its usual Wagga Beach location due to risks associated with flooding.

Royal Life Saving Society NSW's Riverina Regional Manager Michael Dasey said the decision was made considering recent flooding and the uncertainty of more over summer.

"We're just playing the safe game," Mr Dasey said.

"The uncertainty is still there with the weather.

"Even though it won't be a river safety or an Outback Lifesavers program in a river, we're still going to run the same sort of program in this controlled environment - for the safety of all involved."

The 2023 program also won't have to consider "significant barriers" associated with operating at Wagga Beach such as prevailing weather conditions.

"If there is a drop in the temperature, at least here, water is probably at a better temperature for involvement with young children," Mr Dasey said.

Organised by Wagga City Council and Royal Life Saving NSW, the program's first two seasons, which operated over eight weeks, capped the number of children who could attend.

But the 2023 version, which is once again open to young people aged U8 - U13, will run as a two week intensive with no limit on the number of participants.

Oasis Aquatics Supervisor Taileigh King said one particular aspect of the program had stood out as a favourite for children in the past.

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"Definitely the rescue boards - they love them," Ms King said.

"Education about water safety and learning to respect the river at a young age provides important skills that stay with the participants for life."

Mr Dasey said the chance to use things like rescue boards was much closer to resembling a beach lifesaving course than any kind of water safety the children had undergone at school.

The program, he said, was about familiarising local children with aquatic environments and their dangers, not keeping them out of them.

"I believe that we're still the only regional area running this program in NSW," Mr Dasey said.

"Without doubt, [water safety in regional areas has] been overlooked and underplayed."

The sessions will run from 9am to 10am, with week one from Monday to Friday, 16-20 January and week two from Monday to Wednesday, 23-25 January 2023.

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