Commission collaboration with Department of Infrastructure and Planning
The Commission’s evidence-base surrounding the circumstances and risk factors for child death has assisted in the development of legislation designed to prevent childhood drownings in Queensland.
The Building and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 forms Stage 2 of the Queensland Government’s Swimming Pool Safety Improvement Strategy, and was passed in parliament on Thursday 20 May 2010. Stage 2 reforms include establishing a single standard for pool fences in Queensland and requiring upgrades to existing fences to meet this standard; establishing a swimming pool register; and developing an inspections regime for pool fences.
Stage 1 measures, which came into effect in December 2009, included provisions to improve safety for newly constructed pools and boosts to the government’s pool safety campaign.
The Commission has consistently identified drowning deaths of children aged 0–4 years as an issue of significant concern, and has been a strong advocate for measures to reduce the number of both fatal and non-fatal immersions of toddlers. As the custodian of the Queensland Child Death Register, the Commission has a rich evidence-base in relation to the circumstances and risk factors for child drowning, and has been extensively consulted in the development of the government’s Swimming Pool Safety Improvement Strategy.
Information sourced from the Child Death Register highlights that children under the age of 5 years are most at risk of drowning, and that approximately half of children in this age group that drown in Queensland have drowned in residential swimming pools. Of those, around 40% have drowned in pools with known fencing defects.
The Commission recognises the importance of consistent pool fencing legislation in reducing the number of toddler drownings and immersions in swimming pools. Despite the strengthened legislation that will result from the recently debated Bill, it is crucial that parents remain aware of the importance of adequate supervision.
Of the 78 children aged 0–4 years that have drowned in Queensland since 1 January 2004, only one child was in the direct line of sight of an appropriate adult supervisor at the time of the incident. Of equal concern is the fact that almost half of all toddler drownings occur in non-pool locations such as dams, creeks, rivers and baths, where fencing is often neither possible nor practical. The Commission considers that appropriate supervision is the key to preventing childhood drowning.
The Commission is pleased to have been involved in the development of legislation to strengthen pool fencing laws in Queensland, and looks forward to reviewing the potential improvements in outcomes for young children over the coming years. The Commission will continue to monitor and report on the incidence of toddler drowning in Queensland, and to advocate for measures to address risk factors for drowning.
