Four people have drowned in less than 24 hours in a horror start to the year.

The separate incidents at Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria comes as new figures reveal drowning deaths in Australia are up 40 percent compared to the same time last year.

Just after 12.30pm yesterday, a man in his 40s was pulled from the water at Frenchman’s Beach on North Stradbroke Island, Queensland.

A man in his 30s was pulled from the water in Clovelly, Sydney, but he died at the scene. (9news)

Despite rescuers spending over an hour trying to revive him, he died at the scene.

In Sydney, a 38-year-old man was pulled unconscious from the water at Clovelly in Sydney’s eastern beaches at about 2pm.

Rescuers used a defibrillator and performed CPR but he also died at the scene.

“Tragically every five days one person has drowned on the NSW south coast so far,” Surf Life Saving Australia's Steve Pearce told Today.

And just before 5pm yesterday, a 45-year-old Victorian man drowned while holidaying with his family at a Paynesville beach in the state’s east.

A Victorian man was holidaying with family at Paynesville beach when he got into trouble out in the water. The sixth drowning in the state in just nine days. (9news)

A man drowned at the unpatrolled Frenchman's Beach on North Stradbroke Island yesterday as well. (Supplied)

This was the sixth drowning in Victoria in just nine days.

A 66-year-man was pulled from the water in northern Tasmania but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The incident unfolded at Hawley Beach just after 3pm.

The drownings have sparked renewed calls for swimmers to take care in the water.

In December, a total of 42 people drowned in Australian waters, including a number of foreign nationals , raising concerns that Australia’s water safety messages aren’t getting through.

A number of foreign nationals have drowned in the past month in Australian waters, raising concerns about people not paying attention to water safety rules. (Supplied)

Federal Minister for Sport Bridget McKenzie said the number of drownings is unacceptably high and urged all Australians to be vigilant when swimming in the sea, at pools and in rivers and creeks.

“I cannot reinforce enough, the need to respect our waterways and surf conditions,” she said in a statement.

“At this time of year when the temperature is high, the desire to cool off by swimming doesn’t mean you shouldn’t over-look the conditions and take care when entering the water.”

This sentiment was also highlighted by the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia.

This season, Surf Life Saving Queensland released a confronting video warning parents it can only take a couple of minutes for children to get into trouble in the water and to supervise them at all times.

“If you come down to the beach, swim between the red and yellow flags,” Mr Pearce said.