New Swimming Pool Fence Laws

I think after quickly reading through a few peoples comments on here. It is exactly why they need to toughen the laws and hold people who have pools accountable for the public. Were just in the process of building a pool and the fencing. I think people who have the arrogant attitude about “if a kid gets in my yard and drowns, I will sue their parent” thats pathetic, Its people like you that make it necessary for the laws to be put in place. Plus would you be willing to say that to someone if it happened?????
Yes kids can do the impossible BUT that is more reason to go to such extremes. You dont leave the scissors down so why leave the pool at arms reach? Duty of care…..if you want a pool, be responsible. Who cares about bars on the window making it ugly if a child doesnt drown – Its well worth it.

Clown Killer said :

If some snotty nosed brat drowned in my pool I’d sue their parents for the cost associated with having to drain, clean and re-fill the pool.

You’re an absolute disgrace. Hang your head in shame.

After seeing an item on the news this afternoon I was moved to write the following. I take it from the other writers that everyone has their own take on the issue.

“I, like most parents do not like the thought of losing a child in a swimming pool, yet, I often wonder where the parent(s) were when a child has drowned.

There is never any information given with regard to this important factor.

Of course no-one likes to lay the blame on a parent who has lost a child, but, isn’t it about time parents started to learn a bit of responsibility when it comes to their children.

It has been my experience, that when a child has been in trouble in a pool / river / beach situation, that the parent(s) were not keeping a wary eye on said child.

Yet it seems that because of a lack of parenting skills or responsibility, that the rest of us have to adhere to Council authorisations and costs for implementation or upgrading of rules and laws which in the main do not have anything to do with us.

I, like so many like me, have no small children. I am of the old school whereby children under a certain age were not left on their own, they were put in a room where they could be observed constantly. If we went to the beach, one or other parent would be either in the water or on the shoreline keeping a wary eye on the children. When shopping, children were either left with a grandparent or were in a pram or on a lead, they were not left to run riot throughout a shopping centre or store or even a restaurant.

I am dumbfounded by the department who came up with the idea that everyone should be watching out for other peoples children or catering to the ineptitude of the majority of parents of todays ilk. By making everyone else responsible for someone else’s child(ren), you are breeding a society of parents who are less and less involved in the upbringing and responsibility of their children.”

Isn’t it about time we stood up and made a noise that the Govt could not ignore, a National referendum or a National march of outcry against punitive fees on private pool owners.

housebound said :

Easy solution – rather than changing the laws to force older couples with no resident children to fence off their back door, why not just attach it to sale conditions?

You will find that a lot of drownings occur in exactly that situation, when the grandkids come over or when the neighbours’ kids can get into the yard and subsequently fall in. Hence the reason why they are looking at making the laws apply to existing pools too.

deye said :

as a kid I always found ways to get into a standards compliant pool enclosure, it’s not hard.

The fences are only a prevention measure and are not designed to be Fort Knox that guarantee no drownings. Once the kids get to a certain age they are more than likely going to be able to get in one way or another, by that time one would expect most children would be taught some sort of swim safety. It’s more about keepings kids <3 years from wandering out while mummy isn't looking.

Kid will and do get into anywhere if they really want to. The reality is that pool fencing laws have little to do with wether or not a toddler will end up at the bottom of a swimming pool. Responsibility should ultimatley lie with the parents of small children not lumped on people who own pools.

If some snotty nosed brat drowned in my pool I’d sue their parents for the cost associated with having to drain, clean and re-fill the pool.

Easy solution – rather than changing the laws to force older couples with no resident children to fence off their back door, why not just attach it to sale conditions?

I’m not aware of the new rules however my Godmother (QLD) has windows facing directly onto her pool area and she didn’t need bars, just special locks, so it may be the same here.

I would surely think something like Crimsafe would also be a viable alternative (as well as deterring burgulars!)

(As an aside, when I moved into my new house the pool also did not have a fence around it!!!)

Special G said :

You’d be surprised what a child will do and be able to do to get to something they want. The reason this legislation is being brought in is because every year people have the same whinge you are having now, with the it will be alright attitude, and it ends up with a kid drowning.

+1.

Having moved from Qld a few years ago and purchased a house here I was amazed that every place I inspected that had a pool (including the one we ended up buying) did not have any fence! The pools just sat in the backyard with nothing separating them from the rest of the yard or the house. In one case you could actually walk up the side of the house from the street and jump straight in the pool! I was told that was because when the pool laws came in they were not made retrospective (because of course a kid can’t drown in an ‘old’ pool so only the new ones need fencing!). Luckily the people we purchased off were quite nice and let the fence building people come in before settlement so it was all sorted for us and our small kids when we moved in.

Whilst I am not convinced about the practicalities of the proposed ‘no access from the house’ rules as discussed by the OP – I think the current pool fencing laws must be made retrospective for all the old pools.

as a kid I always found ways to get into a standards compliant pool enclosure, it’s not hard.