Pool fencing bill proposed by private member

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 2

Pool fencing bill proposed by private member

Parliamentary reporter A bill requiring all private swimming pools to be fenced will be introduced in Parliament by Mr J. J. Terris (Lab., Western Hutt). The bill would require all local authorities to implement the model by-law on the fencing of pools which was produced by the Standards Association of New Zealand. Mr Terris said that 16 children aged under five, died in private swimming pools last year, which was double the number for 1980. The group with the highest risk of drowning in private pools were pre-schoolers who were too young to swim properly. The need for restrictions on access to private swim-

ming pools had never been contested, he said. The model by-law was produced by the Standards Association and in 1980 the Government gave local authorities the power to introduce such a by-law. However, few local authorities had exercised their power. Only 20 of about 250 local authorities had introduced controls, said Mr Terris. The by-law allowed local authorities a good deal of flexibility, they could choose whether pools had to .be fenced off or whether a fence round the property was sufficient. Experience in Australia proved that such a by-law was an effective method of

protecting private pools and preventing infant drownings.