The country's largest water safety group expects a big impact from losing about 20 percent of its annual funding.

ACC's ending its long-standing partnership with Water Safety New Zealand after this summer, saying it hasn't seen a measurable reduction in drowning injury claims.

Water Safety New Zealand will lose about a million dollars a year in ACC funding.

Acting CEO Gavin Walker says ACC's challenge is understandable, but they need the funding to help do life-saving work.

"We're worried that all of that is put at risk without some continuation of funding."

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