Mr Bean at the Swimming Pool
By Fidelis Rego
A Lockyer Valley-based charity says people may be unknowingly breaking new laws by buying some types of inflatable pools.
Katherine Plint from Hannah’s Foundation says under new laws that take effect next week, inflatable pools deeper than 30 centimetres will have to be fenced, have a filtration system and carry a compliance permit.
She says many pools are being sold online and in department stores without warnings.
“There is nothing stopping anyone from buying thousands of these portable pools from overseas, importing them and starting up an online business,” she said.
“We can’t track them and yet coroners in inquests are actually saying that councils need to keep a pool safety register so that we know where these pools are.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful that people are actually, I guess willingly and unknowingly breaking the law, but the responsibility of the department stores and these sellers and also online sellers have a duty of care and that’s why we want the Office of Fair Trading in Queensland and the federal ACCC [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission] to look at it – it’s the responsibility of anybody in the community.”
The new laws take effect next week.
Related posts