Chch move to make pool fencing compulsory

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 7

Chch move to make pool fencing compulsory

Swimming pools of 15,000 or more litres in the Christchurch City Council area will have to be fenced if a draft by-law being processed by council staff is adopted. The draft by-law, put to the council’s town-planning committee yesterday, differs from the national swimming pools by-law of the Standards Association in that the onus for fencing the pool is on the owner of the site, it refers specifically to swimming pools, the form of notification is controlled, and specific offences are outlined. Every owner on whose property a pool will be installed will have to notify the council engineer of the proposed pool under the bylaw. If the pool holds less than 15,000 litres or is less than 600 mm deep, such notification is unnecessary. Failure to notify a pool will be an offence as will failing to erect a fence around such pool. Swimming pool is specified in the by-law as any pool designed for swimming. This excludes fish ponds and spa pools andlakes such as Victoria Lake in North Hagley Park. A survey of pools in the city would be undertaken and a draft amendment then adopted, councillors were told. The survey to pinpoint the exact number of pools could be done in the summers of 1984-85 and 1985-86. An annual inspection system was possible. At its last meeting the town-planning committee asked council officers to prepare a draft by-law. Councillors felt then that the model by-law put out

would be too big and expensive to implement. The council draft by-law would be retrospective for all pools but would not be adopted until the council was in a position to enforce it. The provision of specific offences would make policing the by-law easier, councillors were told. The annual inspection could be carried out when backflow preventers were inspected. The work could be done by an additional waterworks inspector and the cost covered by an annual licence fee. The amount of work required in inspection and the fee charged could only be set after the initial survey to determine the number of pools. At present only pools of more than 23,000 litres required permits. Councillors felt it was important to word the bylaw so that pools that were small or paddling pools were not covered. The model by-law covered all pools. Cr Alex Clark asked for a report from the Health Department on the most dangerous pools. It would be sensible to find out which pools provided the greatest danger to children, he said. The draft by-law could be in place by September 1, councillors were told, and the amendment adopted after the survey was completed. It should be possible for the council to resolve to adopt the by-law at its July meeting, the meeting heard. The by-law would then have to be advertised and objections considered. The bylaw, amended as necessary, would then have to be con-

firmed by the August meeting of council. Bishopspark The developers of the Bishopspark complex will have to pay $12,350 in reserve requirements to the council. The developers had asked that the land set aside (1320 sq m) be deemed to satisfy total development contributions for all stages. The committee decided to credit for 13 units for the reservation of open space already made. This still left a balance of $12,350. The committee asked the council to confirm a policy of reducing reserve contributions for developers of elderly persons’ housing by 50 per cent where cash was paid in lieu. All such applications for land set aside within a proposed complex should be considered individually by the town-planning committee. The committee also recommended a reduction of 50 per cent for reserve contributions :or commercial rest homes. Gr Geoff Stone spoke against allowing commercial ventures a reduction. “If the rest home was not a success a motel or some other kind of commercial venture could take over the premises and we (the council) can do nothing about reduced reserves.” he said. In spite of reservations expressed by some councillors, the committee approved the recommendation. Development A move to have a woman appointed to the Canterbury Regional Development Council was lost. Cr Mollie Clark suggested asking the Minister of Regional Development, Mr

Birch, to appoint a woman to the council. It would be a token appointment only, said Cr Matthew Glubb. Another motion by Cr Clark to have Canterbury declared a priority area with access to funds won support. At present, as a non-priority area, the regional council has no access to funds. The council intended acting as “general facilitators for viable projects,” said Cr Helen Garrett. The council had sought opinions from the City Council on areas in which it might assist. Cr Clark moved that the council be asked to look at urban renewal and accommodation provision. Suggestions for areas on which the regional council could concentrate will be put to the City Council by all its standing committees. Dissension Dissenting members of Christchurch City Council town-planning hearings may have to put their opinions in writing. The town-planning committee has followed the council’s decision to record dissenting opinion with the recommendations that the opinions be put in writing and given to the committee clerk within 48 hours of the members’ receiving the draft decision for approval. Charleston Nine Charleston neighbourhood improvement area symbols will be put up in the area above street signs to help create a distinctive identity for the area. The proposed signs would cost about $5OO to be erected. The committee approved the idea in principle.