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In a New Zealand first, every Southland primary school child will receive professional swimming lessons through a programme aimed at reducing the region’s drowning toll.

A partnership programme called Swim Safe Southland will give the 7900 Southland years one to eight pupils attending a primary school 10 swimming lessons a year from trained instructors.

Swim Safe Southland is a partnership between Water Safety New Zealand, Sport Southland, Southern Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP), and Swimming New Zealand, and is part of the nationwide Sealord Swim for Life initiative.

Nationally, only one in five 10-year-olds can swim 200 metres – the benchmark for being able to swim and survive – meaning 80% of 10-year-olds cannot swim well enough to save themselves.

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A former swimming and surf lifesaving coach will find out by next week if he will be freed from jail and receive permanent name suppression.

In August the former coach was jailed for 28 months after admitting three charges of sexual conduct with a 15-year-old female swimmer.

He was given interim suppression so that he could appeal against his name being made public. He has also appealed against the length of the sentence.

Yesterday, in a three-hour hearing in the High Court at New Plymouth, defence lawyer Andrew Laurensen argued that his client should be eligible for home detention.