23/11/2023
Georges River Council and Royal Life Saving are reminding residents to be “summer-ready” this season to foster a lifelong love of water and to prevent drownings.
Council is encouraging local residents to use Royal Life Saving’s “Summer-Ready” check list as we approach summer as NSW, ACT and Tasmania still suffer the highest rates of drowning in the country, and regional areas record drowning rates nearly double the rates of metropolitan areas.
The check list gives more details on learning risks, learning to swim, gaining skills to save a life, and reminders to chat with your doctor and check your medication.
As the Georges River local government area is home to thousands of swimming pools, Council recommends several ways to avoid tragedies related to swimming pools including:
-
building compliant fences or barriers around swimming pools
-
constantly supervising children in and around swimming pools
-
displaying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction sign close to the pool
-
regularly inspect, maintain and repair pool fences and gates.
Georges River Council Mayor Sam Elmir said, “We all want our community to stay safe as the weather warms up and use of swimming pools increases so I encourage everyone, not just those with young families, to be summer ready.
“As a community, we must do everything we can to prevent drownings by using Royal Life Savings Society’s Summer Ready checklist to be pool and summer safe.”
In NSW, pool owners must have a fence or other approved child-resistant barrier installed around their pool or spa pool.
Owners of premises with a swimming pool or spa must register the pool or spa on the NSW Swimming Pool Register, under the Swimming Pools Act 1992. Council also encourages residents to have their pool inspected by either Council or a registered swimming pool inspector.
You can find a private certifier through NSW Fair Trading or the Swimming Pool Register.
To find out more about the program, visit Council’s Swimming Pool Safety page.
Download the Summer Ready checklist.