Surf Life Saving Tasmania is seeking capital funding to construct a significant, purpose-built Flood and Swift Water Rescue National Centre of Excellence and Aquatic House that will establish Tasmania as the only southern hemisphere provider for the International Life Saving Federation’s new flood rescue program.

The SLST Flood & Swift Water Rescue National Centre of Excellence will position Tasmania as a national leader in disaster resilience and emergency response training and provide a national and regional asset for the state.

The Centre of Excellence trains, coordinates and equips volunteers and responders with the necessary skills to safely undertake flood and swift water rescues. The proposal of the centre will centralise SLST’s lifesaving operations and enhance coordination with Tasmania Police, SES, Ambulance and Fire Services. 

With the current premises not fit for purpose, SLST CEO Tony van den Enden said it is essential for SLST to deliver training and store vital rescue assets with the impacts of climate change intensifying. 

“Without this facility, the ability to scale, coordinate and sustain a skilled flood rescue workforce in Tasmania is compromised. The opportunity to train both national and international responders is also threatened. A lack of trained personnel threatens the State’s ability to respond effectively to increasingly frequent and severe flood and swift water events.” van den Enden said. 

With DA approval from Clarence City Council located on SLST owned land, the proposed two-storey facility will address critical service gaps in Tasmania’s emergency response capability while advancing state, national and international priorities across disaster preparedness, climate resilience, economic development, and global engagement.

The total economic value of both SLST volunteer surf lifesavers and volunteer Flood & Swift Water Rescue teams equalled $337 million in 2024. With the addition of the National Centre of Excellence facility to offer training and programs that SLST will deliver to local, state and international personnel, could see an additional economic output of $19.97 million during construction and an impact of $2.2 million per year once operational. 

“SLST is Tasmania’s primary response agency for swift and flood water rescue, providing this service through donation and grant funding. SLST currently maintains a surge-ready, professionally trained volunteer force of over 100 fully qualified personnel; without this capacity, Tasmania would have no dedicated swift and flood water rescue capability,” van den Enden said. 

The necessity of this National Centre of Excellence was heightened with the national coverage of a Franklin River rescue by the Surf Life Saving Tasmania Flood & Swift Water Rescue team, Tasmania Police and Ambulance Tasmania from November 2024. The two-part series on ABC’s national programme, Australian Story, detailed the combined rescue efforts of the emergency response units in the miraculous rescue of a Lithuanian man who became trapped in the rapids. 

The story has highlighted the importance of the Flood and Swift Water Rescue National Centre of Excellence for Tasmania and globally. With the facility, it can continue to serve as the backbone for consistent, high-performance training across all first response agencies, support surge capacity and community safety during local, state, national and international disasters. 

With 18 countries confirming their interest in the training that the Centre of Excellence can provide, the facility will give Tasmania a national and international year-round economic engine that will deliver training, tourism, and global recognition to the state.