Auckland City Tightens Swimming Pool Fencing Enforcement Practices

Auckland City is accelerating progress on a review and audit of private swimming pools so that comprehensive pool fence monitoring can be carried out citywide.

The council is hiring additional inspection staff in order to complete the audit of known pools by June next year and students will be engaged to find unknown pools through the council’s Geographic Information System.

Auckland City Environments Manager Geoff Mears says the council will also work toward an annual inspection of all pools to make sure they comply with the 1987 Fencing of Swimming Pools Act.

“The Act exists to provide for the safety of young children and we have a responsibility to promote and enforce it,” Mr Mears said. “There were 44 pre-school drownings in the Auckland region in the last nine years and most of these under-fives died in home pools.”

The council is stepping up its pool fencing monitoring and enforcement procedures, which include requiring dangerous pools to be emptied until they are properly fenced and possible Court action if the requirements are not carried out.

“The Act requires us to protect young children from drowning in private pools and that is the sole reason for our more vigorous stance,” Mr Mears said. “We must do everything possible to try to prevent further avoidable swimming pool deaths.”

ends

For further information
Please contact ACE Manager Geoff Mears
Telephone 353 9000
Or
Deputy Mayor Dr Bruce Hucker
Telephone 373 7599 ext 8648 or 025 722 294

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