If you have ever been in Brisbane during the summer then you know how hot this city can get. Temperatures climb to punishing levels and for the vast majority of residents a pool is the only respite from this insidious heat.
The amount of homes with pools in Brisbane has been climbing over the years with around 20% of residents enjoying a dip in their backyard. While this is an incredibly enjoyable privilege it also comes with responsibility. An unsecured pool is not only extremely dangerous, especially with children around, but it is also illegal.
The Brisbane City Council dictates pool fencing regulations that are designed to keep everyone safe while enjoying a dip. Despite these regulations being in place in cities across the country the sad fact is drowning continues to be a leading cause of accidental death in children under 5 in Australia.
Even more concerning is swimming pools account for half of all toddler drownings. According to the Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report of 2020, 62 Queenslanders perished by way of drowning from 2019-2020. Of these 12 were children under the age of four and half of these deaths occured in home swimming pools.
In an article by the Brisbane Times it is brought to light that one in four Brisbane pools failed basic pool safety checks carried out by the Brisbane City Council in the past 12 months. This alarming figure has spurred lord mayor Adrian Schrinner to call on all pool owners across the city to check their pools to make sure they adhere to safety standards.