IF it ever gets warm enough to make going to a local pool this summer worth it, there are now new rules covering children ten years old and under at City of Ballarat facilities.<\/p>\n
The changes mainly relate to identification of kids, with those under five having to wear a pink wristband, while those five to 10 years old will be required to keep yellow wristband on.<\/p>\n
Supervision rules are still much the same, with under fives joined in the pool by someone over 16 and within arms reach all the time.<\/p>\n
Over fives need to be \u201cactively supervised\u201d with \u201cclear, constant and direct access\u201d to the child.<\/p>\n
Centre manager at the municipally run Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre, Gerald Dixon, said the rule changes were about safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur lifeguards are responsible for supervising up to 100 swimmers at any one time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a child gets hurt, a parent or guardian within close proximity can act on the incident immediately, preventing further complications.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are asking for the cooperation of parents and guardians in keeping their children safe in and around the water by following this policy at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n
The changes came into effect from the first weekend of December and along with the aquatic centre, cover City of Ballarat owned or run facilities at Eureka, Black Hill, Brown Hill, and Buninyong.<\/p>\n
Deputy mayor Cr Amy Johnson backed the changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know how much children love the water, there’s nothing better than visiting the pool on a hot summer’s day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we must always keep in mind how quickly things can go wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why it is so important, for the safety of our kids, that they’re carefully supervised by a parent or guardian while in the water and that we all commit to following these new rules.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IF it ever gets warm enough to make going to a local pool this summer worth it, there are now new rules covering children ten years old and under at City of Ballarat facilities. The changes mainly relate to identification of kids, with those under five having to wear a pink wristband, while those five […]<\/p>\n