Kate Wareham joined the WSNZ board in late 2017.
Kate Wareham has been elected chair of the Water Safety New Zealand’s board of directors. Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) is responsible for leading and implementing ‘Wai Ora Aotearoa: New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025’ on behalf of the water safety sector to reduce the incidence of drowning and injury in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Wareham, currently deputy chief executive, organisational capability and services at the Department of Internal Affairs, joined the WSNZ Board in late 2017. She will replace company director and adviser Maurice Kidd, who has stepped down from chair but remains a member of the board.
Wareham said she was keenly aware of the need to influence water awareness and safety practices in New Zealand, given this country’s high fatal drowning rate and the significant impact this has on whānau and communities throughout the country.
“Being on the WSNZ board is an opportunity to make an impact on the important public health issue of drowning. Too many New Zealanders continue to lose their lives from drowning. We have a high drowning rate compared to Australia, with drowning in New Zealand being the leading cause of recreational death and the second-highest cause of death by unintentional injury for one to 24-year-olds,” she said.
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