30 Nov 2021

With the promise of warm summer weather on its way, Christchurch City Council is reminding people that portable or temporary swimming pools are not immune to fencing requirements.

“If you are thinking of splashing out on a portable pool for your backyard, or even a paddling pool, this summer, please remember that for safety reasons you need to fence them off,’’ says Christchurch City Council Head of Regulatory Compliance Tracey Weston.

“Under the Building (Pools) Amendment Act that came into effect on 1 January 2017, portable pools are treated in the same way as other residential pools. That means if they are more than 40cm deep they must have barriers to stop children under five from accessing them - even if the pool is only partially filled with water.

“The rule is there to protect young children from accidental drowning. We don’t want to see any family going through the tragedy this summer of losing a child because they got into trouble in an unfenced pool,’’ Ms Weston says.

Before pool fencing legislation was enacted, on average 10 New Zealand children a year drowned in home swimming pools.

Ms Weston says people with existing swimming pools in their backyards should check that gate latches are still working and the fencing still meets the required standards.

“All pools in Christchurch should be on our pools register and swimming pools must be inspected every three years to make sure their barriers are compliant.’’

Find out more about swimming and spa pool safety.