Northlanders benefits from RLSSNZ water safety training
30 August 2026
Royal Life Saving Society NZ (RLSSNZ) has been ably represented in the Northland region by stalwart Joanne Beckett, who has spent the past 58 years promoting and teaching water safety skills to locals.
Joanne says the basics remain the same, "Learning to float is literally a lifesaver and my mission has been to help people help themselves and others to be safe in, on and around water, with the RLSSNZ water safety skills programmes.”
Northland is the South Pacific of New Zealand, with a beautifully warm climate and abundance of golden beaches and waterways. At its narrowest only 7.5km of land separates its West and East coasts.
Learning water safety skills and swimming, especially for children, is imperative for their safe enjoyment of the water.
Fortunately many Northland schools have a pool or access to water (sea/lake) and deliver water safety and swimming lessons primarily through the Sport Northland water safety skills programme, supported and assisted by RLSSNZ.
Many other organisations, such as home schoolers, follow RLSSNZ programmes, where students can progress to Distinction qualifications. The region's Waka Ama groups shadow the RLSSNZ programme, teaching their own tangata who spend a great deal of time on the water, while the Actors Guild ensure any actors performing water stunts must also have RLSSNZ water safety training.
The Whangarei Aquatic centre has five of their staff now trained in the Bronze Medallion and are able to instruct in this. This enables graduates of the Learn to Swim programme opportunities to further their water safety skills training to Bronze Medallion level. When they’re 18 years or over, they can then take this qualification to other Commonwealth countries to participate in their aquatic programmes, and take it to Camp America (CCUSA).
RLSSNZ’s work with swimming clubs continues, assisting with water survival training to complement their swimming instruction. Also, working with communities which have special needs. Joanne has been able to work with their various abilities and understandings, and make the lessons fun and therapeutic, all conducted in the only all year-round pool in the Kaipara.
