Surf Life Saving and Lend Lease have today officially launched a new partnership to deliver a program that will help to save lives through water safety awareness.

The program has already started to be rolled out to 6,000 Lend Lease employees and will also be implemented across more than 100 nominated schools and community organisations this year.

Surf Life Saving’s General Manager Marking and Partnerships, Brett Harrod, says the launch of the partnership has come at a favourable time with record numbers of people expected to head out into open water this summer.

“Australians are well known for their love of the beach and we want to ensure it is enjoyed safely. Many people are still unaware of all of the hazards at the beach so the more people we can educate about water safety, the better.

“If we are going to make a real difference, we need to make water safety at the top of everyone’s mind,” continued Mr Harrod.

Trained surf lifesavers are delivering the program which addresses water safety at the beach and also applies to any waterways such as lakes, rivers, dams and pools. Participants will also learn important tips on dangerous marine creatures, waves and rip currents.

Lend Lease’s Chief Executive Officer for Australia Mark Menhinnitt said the company was delighted to be working with Surf Life Saving to raise awareness about water safety and is committed to creating safer communities.

“Every day we play a role in improving the quality of people’s lives through the communities we create so this initiative is another way we can give back to the wider community.

“If anyone knows the importance of safety, we do. Working across the property industry, safety is always our number one priority in everything we do. We are focused on trying to avoid incidents, rather than simply avoiding injuries and will be applying this same concept to our water safety program,” said Mr Menhinnitt.