Media Release | 21 June 2025
Liam Staltari MLA
Shadow Minister for Education;
Early Childhood; Disability Services; Heritage
The Cook Labor Government has quietly axed its Free Venue Entry initiative for the VacSwim program.
This hits the hip pockets of families, risking swimming and water safety for young Western Australians.
The program provided free pool entry for students enrolled in the 2024/25 December and January VacSwim five and 10-day program.
With the $960,000 subsidy scrapped from the 2025-26 Budget and beyond, parents will now have to cover daily entry fees for each child participating in VacSwim programs.
Depending on the venue this could cost around $5 per child per day.
Shadow Minister for Education Liam Staltari said the funding cut means a family with three VacSwim students could face up to $150 in venue entry fees for a 10-day course.
“This is something many families simply can’t afford,” Mr Staltari said.
“The Cook Labor Government’s actions speak louder than words – they talk about cost-of-living relief, but when it comes to supporting young families, they continue to drop the ball.
“For many WA families, losing pool entry support is the deal-breaker between enrolling their children in vital swimming lessons, or not.”
Mr Staltari said the decision could have serious consequences for childrens’ safety.
“WA’s drowning rate has increased by 7% compared to the 10-year average,” Mr Staltari said.
“When drownings continue to claim lives every year, it beggars belief that this Government would choose to make access to swimming lessons more difficult.
“It’s especially galling when you consider the Government’s spending priorities. They’ve blown billions on Metronet overruns, are sinking $220 million into a new racetrack no one asked for, yet they won’t spend less than a million dollars to help children access swimming lessons and save lives.”
ENDS
Media Contact: Marty Lake 0405 068 590
