Pool fences need to be compulsory in the NT, including in rural areas, to save young lives

ANY risk of backyard drownings in rural areas is too high and laws need implementing to prevent them, writes DENISE CAHILL.

16-month-old Patrick McLean was lucky to make a healthy recovery after a near drowning incident in his family’s backyard pool two weeks ago. Pictured with Patrick is CareFlight nurse Ulrike Ganske, SJA paramedic John Payne, SJA intensive care paramedic Jeff Buteux, Patrick’s mum Amy Newton and SJA emergency medical dispatcher Billie Turner. Picture: Che Chorley

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WHEN a child drowns in an unfenced backyard pool in the rural area, it will be too late.

That’s why pool fence laws in the Territory need to change so every swimming pool is fenced, by law.

There can’t be a choice in this – it must be compulsory!

The landscape of a backyard pool in the city compared to that in the rural area is different. But the swimming skills of a young, curious child are the same, no matter where you live.

Patrick McLean’s mum, Amy Newton, learned that the hard way earlier this month when her toddler wandered out of the family home in Darwin River and ended up face first in the unfenced pool.

Luckily, his story has a happy ending but last week Ms Newton fronted the media with one of her son’s lifesavers, St John intensive care paramedic Jeff Buteux.

Mr Buteux urged people to make sure their pools were fenced and to learn CPR.

He said Patrick was exceptionally lucky to have “come out the other end” and guessed his survival was one in 100.

“I mean, he is the lotto ticket,” Mr Buteux said.

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But Chief Minister Michael Gunner is standing firm on the popular opinion that there is no need to implement compulsory pool fence laws for rural properties 1.8ha or larger

In January, Mr Gunner said a recent public consultation process convinced the NT government that making people on larger rural properties with pools or spas install fences was not necessary.

“It was essentially taking a commonsense look at what was occurring and when we looked at the tragic deaths involved with drownings it was not happening in those locations exempt from the Act,” Mr Gunner said at the time.

There’s nothing more “common sense” than protecting our young, inexperienced swimmers.

Drownings are not happening in rural backyard pools … yet.

But one day they could be and the government needs to act to protect young lives and families from the heartache of losing a child when it could be avoided.

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Nine people drowned in Northern Territory waterways between July 1 last year and June 30 this year, according to the 2020 Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report, while 248 people drowned across Australia.

In December last year, a child was saved after being found floating in an Alice Springs pool and in July 2019, a two-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool in Katherine.

The NT government can’t wait until there are fatal statistics to change these dangerous pool fence laws to be compulsory for all properties.

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Otherwise, is the Northern Territory really the “safest place in Australia”, as Mr Gunner has been telling us since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Let’s throw the “kitchen sink” at protecting Territorians from losing a child to drowning. Making pool fences compulsory across the Territory isn’t about politics, or even following popular opinion. It’s about saving lives.

Denise Cahill is the Head of News at the NT News.

Follow @DeniseCahill18