Auckland Council has welcomed a decision by the North Shore District Court to fine a property owner for not ensuring his swimming pool was properly fenced.
Li Yu was fined $250 plus court costs for failing to fence a swimming pool at a property he owned in Greenhithe. The swimming pool, at the unoccupied home, was full of water and easily accessible from the street. The property neighboured a day care.
Auckland Council’s Manager Compliance – Building Control, Sally Grey, says the conviction is a reminder that the council will take enforcement action if people fail to comply with swimming pool fencing rules.
“In this case the pool was completely unfenced and full of water, which is an unacceptable risk to young children in the community."
“We endeavour to work with owners to make sure pools are fenced and safe, but if people are consistently ignoring our requests to make their swimming pools compliant, we will pursue it through the courts.
“While the fine is small, we hope this serves as a reminder for people to check their pools are safe at all times.”
Unsupervised access via faulty gates and fences is a leading cause of children drowning or being injured in pools. Make sure fences, self-closing gates and latches are maintained and working correctly.
