28/10/01
Isolation fencing will be mandatory around all new swimming pools installed in residences in Western Australia from November 5 this year.
Minister for Local Government and Regional Development Tom Stephens said that the measure was justified to meet community concerns for the safety of toddlers.
"This Government made a pre-election commitment to make isolation fencing mandatory around new pools and the WA public gave us a mandate to do just that," Mr Stephens said.
"We see this as the most practical and acceptable step to try to reduce the number of young WA children lost to drowning."
The Government's tougher fencing laws will require new pools to have fencing barriers around the pool and its immediate surrounds.
"This will mean that the current laws allowing self-closing self-latching doors to open on to a pool area will no longer be acceptable for new pools," Mr Stephens said.
"Instead there will need to be a fence with an approved gate between the house doors and the pool.
"At the rear of the premises, people with new pools will continue to be allowed to use their property boundary fencing as an effective barrier if it complies with the law."
Mr Stephens said these laws were the same as those introduced in 1992 by the previous Labor Government but subsequently changed by the Coalition Government in 1993.
He hoped that the re-introduction of these laws for new pools would reduce the likelihood of child drownings.
Local Governments would be given special powers to exempt new pools from these new requirements in limited circumstances where a fence and gate might not be practical. These would cover situations where a disabled person was the resident, it was an indoor pool or there were special structural difficulties with the site.
Mr Stephens said the Government was working with key interest groups in looking at options regarding safety measures on pre-1992 pools.
He stressed that the most effective way of safeguarding youngsters in and around swimming pools remained supervision by adults. There was no substitute for vigilance.
"I am pleased that this Government has been able to continue to financially support the Royal Life Saving Society in their "Keep Watch" awareness campaign aimed at reducing the tragic loss of toddlers to drowning," Mr Stephens said.
"I commend the RLSS on their efforts to raise the awareness of pool safety for toddlers.
"If we can save one toddler from drowning, the State Government's investment in the awareness campaign and the imposing of new pool fencing regulations will have been justified."
Media contact: Julie Cole 9213 6500
