'Pool safety pioneer’

Press, 2 March 1977, Page 13

' Poo l safety pioneer’

The Panama County Council’s finance committee has decided to recommend that the council do nothing about regulations to safeguard home swimming pools until the Standards Association has completed its model by-law. The countt engineer (Mr J. D. Annan). who is a member of the association, said that drafting a law to make pools safe was like ‘ hanging your head on a wall.’ “You can’t legislate against fools." he said. “You’ cannot stop people who are thoughtless, or lazy, doing things which are dangerous to their fellow men.” The council has been concerned about the danger from unfenced and uncovered pools. “It appears we are the only council in New Zealand that is concerned enough to try to do something.” said the chairman (Cr .1. Y. Pethig). Cr E. C. Biitnell said it was possible to buy a kitset

• pool, and provided it held si less than 23,00(1 litres n< t building permit was required t anti the council had no con- ? trol over it. it could he in a J front garden, unfenced ant' s uncovered. Cr J. S. Wilson said thai r in that case the danger was a t-i children who might pass i, by. and who had been en □ couraged to swim while ac e ■ impamed by their parents a They might try on their own. he said. t Councillors all agreed thai - ii would be wrong to legise late too heavily, and to reg duce the number of pools ■ ’What we wan’ to do is increase the number of people who can swim.” said it Mr Annan. d He said pools were now e covered under an amendment i- to the building by-laws d ‘ When the standard bv-law ■- is produced we could have a n look at the two together We may have to cut out the size it slipulation and increase the t 1 range of pools.” he said.