Eumundi Voice - Issue 102, 19 September 2024

COMMUNITY

Preventing pool tragedies

Spring is here and now is the perfect time to check your pool is safe and educate your family on the importance of water safety, including keeping the pool gate firmly shut.

Between 2018 and 2023, private pools were the most common location for child drownings and drownings were the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4. SCC is pleading with pool owners to take the simple but vital steps to prevent a tragedy this summer or risk receiving a $23,000 fine.

SCC Service Excellence Portfolio Cr Christian Dickson said, “Fencing and gates become faulty with wear and tear, so I encourage every pool owner to follow council’s free pool safety checklist regularly to ensure they are providing a safe environment for their families, tenants and visitors.

“Some people deliberately prop pool gates open for convenience, and sadly this was a factor in more than 25% of early childhood drownings recorded in Qld over the past 10 years.”

The Qld pool safety standard regulates the location, height and strength of barriers, non-

climbable zones, gate latching requirements and prohibits direct access from a building into a pool area. The standard applies to excavations or structures capable of being filled with water to a depth of 300mm and intended for swimming, wading, bathing and paddling, including spas and inflatable wading pools.

Pool owners and home occupiers can be fined more than $23,000 for failing to ensure a pool gate is securely closed. As well as compliant fencing, adult supervision is a must when it comes to children and pools. A Qld Family and Child Commission report identified supervision was considered inadequate in 65% of early childhood pool fatalities.

For more information visit: t.ly/Sfw9z or t.ly/ WW7J-.