WHEN Mike Pritchard and his family opted to install a backyard pool, safety was at the forefront of their minds.
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More than five years on, the Scone locals are no less aware of the potential dangers.
“Especially with toddlers able to get in,” Mr Pritchard said.
“There are some dangers even if you meet all the regulations and obligations.
“It’s just something that you have to be aware of all the time.”
A spate of drowning deaths across the state during the holiday period, including 14 in five days, has prompted renewed calls for caution.
The emergence of a video this week, which depicts a two-year-old toddler scaling and opening a pool fence in the space of just 21 seconds, led to more safety warnings.
Mr Pritchard said private pool owners simply needed to be alert at all times.
“From my perspective, there’s no doubt going to be times where toddlers, being natural climbers, are going to find a way no matter what the regulations are,” he said.
“You have to make sure you’ve offered the maximum protection under the regulations.
“In our case, we made it more difficult having a pool between two buildings.
“[Upper Hunter Shire] Council came out and inspected it – we needed to securely lock windows and, on one of them, we had to put in extra protection.
“You’ve also got to be aware in the garden that you don’t have a pot plant or something up against the fence.
“You have to tick all the boxes.
“But, in saying all that, pools can be a good part of family entertainment, particularly in the summer time.”
Under state government laws, owners must register their swimming pool on a state-wide register and complete a self-assessment of its safety. Any vessel used for wading or swimming which is capable of being filled with water to a depth of 300 millimetres or more is required to be registered.
Under the inspection program, council plans to inspect every residential swimming pool in the region at least once every five years.