Water Safety New Zealand says behavioural change experts are needed to help bring our drowning figures down. 

Provisional figures show 90 preventable drownings last year, down slightly on the 94 in 2022 but still higher than the 10-year average of 82. 

More than 80% are male, and 58% are over the age of 45. 

Chief Executive Daniel Gerrard told Tim Dower that it's about trying to get the message through to people in that group. 

He says using whanau as tool and talking about the impact on them if you don't come home is something that has to be pushed further. 

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