Chris Fitzmaurice, the national manager of franchised pool care business Swimart, has applauded the Queensland Government’s moves to ensure the family swimming pool remains a safe, fun-filled asset the whole family can enjoy.  

ñThe Queensland Government are progressing their swimming pool safety improvement strategy,î he said. ñApproximately half child drownings are in pools with known fencing defects.î  

Fitzmaurice said that the governmentÍs policy objectives will be achieved mainly by encouraging and requiring greater compliance with pool fencing requirements, reducing the confusion and complexity that is currently associated with those requirements and extending the requirements to pools that are currently exempted, such as portable pools that are more than 300mm deep.  

ñThe new legislation will create a number of obligations for swimming pool owners, such as requiring pools to be registered, obtaining a pool safety inspection and certificate before selling or leasing the property, complying with the safety requirements of newly-constructed pools regardless of when the pool was originally constructed, to upgrade pools to whatever safety requirements are current at the point of sale or lease, and that properties with pools will also be subject to greater rights of entry by local government inspectors.î  

Fitzmaurice said that Swimart has long been lobbying for tighter regulations regarding swimming pool safety and have taken an active role in the establishment of the new swimming pool industry body SPRAA, the Swimming Pool Retail Association Australia.  

Fitzmaurice said that the governmentÍs strategy would require pool owners to register their pools before 1st June 2011, which is six months after the intended implementation date of the new regulations of 1st December 2010.