The ACT Government has committed to a tougher law for pool fences to protect children from drowning. Planning Minister Andrew Barr said he would introduce the law in the Legislative Assembly early in the new year.
''The Government's intent is that by summer 2010 the law will be in place and all pool owners will know what they have to do to comply and by when,'' Mr Barr said.
Existing laws in the ACT require that private in-ground pools be surrounded by a barrier that prevents children from entering the pool area unsupervised.
A wall or part of a house is permitted to form part of the barrier, which can include any external doors or windows. In some cases small children may easily breach these access points.
The new law would still allow a wall or part of a house to form part of the barrier, as long as it had no doors or windows.
New pools will be the first to be regulated under the new laws. Detail on how existing pools would be regulated has yet to come.''At this stage the Government's view is that all pools would need to comply with the new fencing standards by October 2011,'' Mr Barr said.
For more, pick up a copy of Today's Canberra Times.
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