Water Safety New Zealand

What Water Safety New Zealand does

Water Safety New Zealand Inc. (WSNZ) is a nonprofit charitable organisation incorporated in New Zealand that operates as the national coordinating body for drowning prevention in Aotearoa. Its roots trace to the 1949 National Prevent Drowning Publicity Campaign Committee, and it currently works through leadership, advocacy, education, and community-led interventions to reduce drowning and water-related injury. The organisation's core functional remit covers curriculum delivery to school-aged children (Years 1–8), culturally tailored programmes for Māori (Kia Maanu Kia Ora, grounded in the Wai Puna model developed by Dr Chanel Phillips of the University of Otago) and Asian New Zealanders, behavioural-change campaigns aimed at adult males (the highest-risk demographic, accounting for ~83% of fatalities), and risk and hazard assessment services for local and regional councils.

WSNZ's principal technology asset is DrownBase™, a nationally consolidated knowledge hub integrating coronial, police, Ministry of Health non-fatal injury, ACC water-related injury, search-and-rescue incident, and digital exposure data. Built around this data asset are the Water Skills for Life™ curriculum (pool, beach, and river modules for ages 5–13), seasonal campaigns such as 'Days Like These' with weather-triggered billboards, and an annual Drowning Prevention Report. DrownBase underpins data-driven targeting of high-risk communities and locations, and the organisation holds registered trademarks on its core programmes.

Revenue is generated through government grants (ACC previously provided approximately $1.1 million annually as principal partner of Water Skills for Life before ceasing funding in 2025), community partnership funding programmes, and donations/philanthropy solicited from the public. All programmes and resources are provided free of charge to end users. Strategic partners include Coastguard New Zealand, Surf Life Saving NZ, the Department of Conservation, the NZ Search and Rescue Council, Alcohol Healthwatch, the Health Research Council, and the University of Otago. The organisation operates exclusively within New Zealand, with no disclosed international footprint.

Name

Water Safety New Zealand

Legal name

Water Safety New Zealand Inc.

Website

https://watersafetynz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Safety New Zealand is a nonprofit charitable organisation that reduces drowning in Aotearoa through education (Water Skills for Life™, Kia Maanu Kia Ora), advocacy (Life Jackets Bill), the DrownBase™ national data hub, and community-led funding programmes targeting at-risk populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drowning Prevention Services

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL)

Keywords

• Drowning prevention services
• Water safety education
• Community safety programmes
• Public health advocacy
• Water safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support water safety programmes and initiatives.
2. Government Funding: Government grants and funding partnerships to deliver water safety education and prevention programmes.
3. ACC Partnership: ACC provides funding as principal partner of the ACC Water Skills for Life programme, supporting water-safety training for approximately 20,000 children annually.
4. Community Partnership Funding: WSNZ distributes funding to community partners and organizations working on drowning prevention initiatives through targeted funding programmes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Water Safety New Zealand is a nonprofit charitable organization that reduces drowning in Aotearoa New Zealand through education, advocacy, and community-led interventions. It delivers school-based water safety education (Water Skills for Life™), a kaupapa Māori programme (Kia Maanu Kia Ora), maintains the national drowning data hub (DrownBase™), runs public awareness campaigns, funds community partners, and advocates for lifejacket legislation. All programmes and resources are provided free of charge to the public.

Product overview

Water Safety New Zealand operates as a drowning prevention organization offering a portfolio of education programmes, data tools, campaigns, and advocacy initiatives. The core educational offerings include Water Skills for Life™ for children's water safety education and Kia Maanu Kia Ora for kaupapa Māori water safety, supported by the DrownBase™ data collection system. The organization runs national campaigns including Days Like These and advocates for lifejacket legislation. These products work together to reduce drowning through education, data-driven interventions, community funding, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Skills for Life™ A water safety education programme giving children aged 5-13 the skills and knowledge to assess risk and make smarter decisions around water, covering pool, beach, and river environments. Delivered through schools and kura (Years 1-8) and historically reached approximately 20,000 children annually through ACC partnership funding.
• Kia Maanu Kia Ora A kaupapa Māori water safety programme embodying the intimate connections Māori have with wai (water), built on the Wai Puna model with three core pillars: Whakapapa (source of knowledge), Mātauranga (traditional knowledge), and Tikanga (application of knowledge). Developed to address the over-representation of Māori in New Zealand drowning statistics (18 deaths in 2025).
• Risk and Hazard Assessment Services Comprehensive hazard and risk assessments provided to local and regional councils to improve safety on rivers, lakes, and inland waterways. Rivers and inland waterways have accounted for 1,399 lives lost since 1980.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 lives could be saved every year if lifejackets were worn on all recreational watercraft
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Coastguard New Zealand (Tautiaki Moana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partner in water safety. Joint advocacy for lifejacket legislation, shared 'Just Wear It' campaign, and collaboration on drowning prevention initiatives. Coastguard provides frontline rescue services while WSNZ focuses on prevention.
• ACCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal partner of ACC Water Skills for Life programme. ACC provides approximately $1.1 million in funding supporting water-safety training for approximately 20,000 children annually, particularly in high-need communities.
• Surf Life Saving New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey sector partner in beach safety and drowning prevention. Collaboration on beach-specific water safety programmes and data sharing through DrownBase.
• Ministry of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Kia Maanu Kia Ora programme with logo shown on programme materials. WSNZ works with kura and schools on water safety education.
• Health Research Council of New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded Dr Chanel Phillips' Wai Puna research making possible the kaupapa Māori water safety model for reducing Māori drowning rates.
• University of OtagomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for Māori water safety studies. Dr Chanel Phillips (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) from University of Otago developed the Wai Puna model.
• New Zealand Search and Rescue CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSector partner in search and rescue coordination. Collaborates on Boating Safety Code and emergency response messaging.
• Department of ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged in blackspot analysis for high-risk coastal locations. Collaboration on understanding access, utilisation, and future aspirations for dangerous sites like Papanui Point.
• Alcohol HealthwatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint 'Don't Drink and Dive' campaign addressing alcohol-related drowning risks during holiday periods.
• Community PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal organizations funded through Community Partnership Funding to deliver water safety initiatives in high-risk communities. Funding priorities targeted to key drowning risk reduction areas.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Kidsafe New Zealand: Child injury prevention charity in New Zealand addressing broader child safety (including water); a partial-overlap peer in child safety education delivery channels.

Direct peers

• Surf Life Saving New Zealand: Beach safety and surf lifesaving organization in New Zealand — a Core sector partner of WSNZ with overlapping beach water safety education, patrol services, and drowning prevention focus.
• Coastguard New Zealand (Tautiaki Moana): WSNZ's closest national partner and operational peer — a maritime safety charity focused on boating safety, search and rescue, and 'Just Wear It' lifejacket advocacy; overlaps directly in drowning prevention mission.
• Royal Life Saving Society UK: UK-based water safety charity focused on drowning prevention, lifeguard training, and water safety education — a comparable international peer in charity structure and programmes.
• Lifesaving Society Canada: Canada's national water safety charity delivering drowning research, swim/lifesaving instructor certification, and water safety education — a direct international peer to WSNZ in mission and programmes.
• Royal Life Saving Society – Australia: Australia's national drowning prevention organization delivering water safety education, research (National Drowning Report), and lifeguard training — the closest international peer in scope and mission to WSNZ.

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK's large, established maritime rescue charity — broader in operational scope (rescue rather than prevention) but a comparable model for national water safety charity funding and public engagement.
• Australian Water Safety Council: Australian peak body coordinating national water safety strategy across government, NGOs, and research — a comparable policy and coordination body for WSNZ to learn from and align with.
• International Life Saving Federation: Global federation coordinating national lifesaving and drowning prevention organizations — the umbrella body that links WSNZ to international peer networks, policy frameworks, and World Drowning Prevention Day.

Regional players

• WaterSafe Auckland: Auckland-focused water safety education provider; a regional peer delivering swim and water safety education in the same national context but at sub-national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/watersafetynz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-safety-new-zealand-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/watersafetynz
• Xx.com/water_safety_nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Water Safety New Zealand