Local councils remain committed to water safety

More than two decades after pool fencing became mandatory in WA, Royal Life Saving WA is celebrating the commitment of local councils for inspecting ratepayers’ pools and saving young lives. 

Under the current legislation, local governments are required to carry out compliance inspections of safety barriers for all pools, spas and portable pools with more than 30cm of water, with checks required every four years. 

In a recent government report, it was revealed just 1.5 per cent of WA’s swimming pools were overdue for inspection, an improvement on the past two years. 

Royal Life Saving currently conducts pool inspections for eight councils across the metro area and commends local governments for playing a critical role in halving the rate of drowning deaths in toddlers. 

“In the 15 years prior to the introduction of pool fencing legislation, on average nine children under the age of five fatally drowned each year. In the 20 years since, that number has dropped to four,” says Royal Life Saving CEO, Peter Leaversuch. 

Despite this, drowning remains the leading cause of preventable deaths of children under four, with 65.5 per cent of all deaths occurring in the home swimming pool. 

“The loss of just one child to drowning is devastating, and with lack of supervision the single biggest contributing factor, it is vital parents ‘Keep Watch’ this summer,” says Mr Leaversuch. 

To find out whether your home pool barrier complies, book a Royal Life Saving assessment below.