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MEDIA RELEASE POOL SAFETY GRANT SUCCESSHealthy Cities Illawarra has received a grant of $75000 from the NSW Water Safety Taskforce to investigate backyard pool safety in the Illawarra region. The study which is currently being conducted is entitled “Pool Inspections - feasibility and management issues for local government”. The study will analyse the approaches used in the three local government areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama to manage the issue of pool inspections. It will also assess compliance rates with the NSW Swimming Pool Act 1992 across the different Councils with Royal Life Saving Society undertaking a sample of 1000 pool inspections in the Wollongong region. Safe Communities Coordinator, Katherine van Weerdenburg said, “Because drowning is the largest killer of children under 5 and backyard pools the most common location it is extremely important that local government works effectively with pool owners to ensure the safety of their pool”. Other similar studies have found extremely low levels of compliance (between 17-50%) with current safety regulations. “Councils across NSW have different methods of ensuring the safety of backyard pools and this study will be the first to actually analyse these different methods in a small, medium and large council” Ms van Weerdenburg said. The study will also assess the effectiveness of contracting pool inspections to a specialist water safety organisation and this will provide another model for local government to consider in making decisions about the best way to ensure owner compliance with the legislation. “We want to get a picture about the best mix of strategies to use to encourage the highest possible compliance. Councils, home owners and water safety organisations are all important partners in avoiding drownings”. The study, which is expected to be completed early in 2003, will provide recommendations for the NSW Water Safety Taskforce on the management of safety in backyard pools.
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