Old4New lifejacket program heads to Kununurra

Over the past 15 months Royal Life Saving Society WA has been working with the Department of Transport to encourage WA boaters and fishers to wear a lifejacket while on the water, through the Old4New lifejacket upgrade campaign. 

Over the past 10 years 45 people have drowned while boating in WA, with the majority of those involved in these incidents not wearing a lifejacket at the time. One of the main reasons people don’t wear a lifejacket is that they are bulky, uncomfortable and not appropriate for activities such as fishing.

Studies have found that wearing a lifejacket doubles a person’s chance of survival once immersed in water. The Old4New program is part of a wider campaign to get people into the habit of putting on a lifejacket each time they go boating.

As part of the initiative an upgrade voucher is provided, along with educational material, when people  surrender their old, damaged or obsolete lifejacket. The voucher can then be used to receive a $15 discount off the purchase of a new self-inflating, slim-fitting style lifejacket at any of the program’s local retail partner outlets.

This week the program heads to Kununurra, with exchanges happening on Saturday 15th July at the Kununurra Agricultural Show and Sunday 16th July between 8am and 10am at the Kununurra Boat Ramp. The Kimberley region recorded the third highest rate of boating related drowning deaths in our state in the past decade, behind the Mid-West and Pilbara, so we’d encourage all local boaters to attend the events and upgrade their lifejackets to ensure their safety on the water.

To date 672 people have taken advantage of the Old4New lifejacket upgrade program throughout metro and regional WA, and we look forward to being able to assist more boaters in the coming months as we work hard in partnership with the Department of Transport to reduce the incidence of boating-related drowning deaths in our state.

Find out more about the Old4New program at the link below.