Swimming Pool Legislation Update - NZ

Following my last post on this topic, I received an email from someone in New Zealand. Their government has had rules like ours in force for 28 years and like all governments in that situation are now changing the rules.
One good change is to extend the validity of a certificate of conformity from 3 yrs to 5 yrs.
Other more questionable changes include that, where fence height was regulated at 1.2m, the new rules apparently require only that "protective barriers be performance-based". If a landowner protests against an inspector who rules the pool doesn't meet that requirement, it could make for an interesting challenge! At least the Australian rules are unambiguous.

An extract from the report I was sent includes Starship Children's Health director Mike Shephard expressing concern "that the changes are not based on the existing science around swimming pool fencing. There is no dispute that child drowning has dropped significantly since the 1987 act was passed. It might not have been perfectly consistent in operation but any law in this area has to give councils and inspectors some discretion. Home swimming pools exist in situations as varied as the building designs and landscaping of properties that can afford them."

Does anyone else know more about either the NZ or Australian rules?

Swimming Pool Regulations

Council has confirmed that the new swimming pool regulations will be enforced from 29 April of this year.

Estate Agents confirm that this will soon make it virtually impossible to sell any house with a swimming pool unless it is already certified. Before the sale can settle, the pool must be inspected, faults rectified, then reinspected to obtain a certificate. We have heard of this requiring lengthy renovations, and numerous inspections, which could be impossible to achieve before 29 April, and it will be illegal to settle after that date without a certificate.

One anticipates a significant drop in stamp duty for the state when house sales dry up. Similarly landlords will be unable to take on new tenants if their existing tenants vacate after that date unless the pool is already certified.

Beecroft Pedestrian Bridge Work Continuing

The Trust received notification from R&M that "work continues on pedestrian bridge over Beecroft Rd from Saturday 16 Jan"

Tawny Frogmouths sighted

Ross Walker sent out pictures taken in his back yard showing a family of tawny frogmouth owls!

Residents don't want the "Disney Harbour" Bridge

The secretary received a long letter blasting the whole justification for the new Beecroft Foot Bridge now being built behind the Community Hall.
He asks if it is too late to stop the lunacy, but sadly we fear it is. It's even impossible to find who wants it, all we know is the identity of the company contracted to build it. The Trust, and many others, have tried to protest but it's impossible. Those in the Trust who know about such things just say "It's a political thing, nothing to do with residents' needs or wishes."
This correspondent is elderly and partially disabled, and states that he would much prefer to take his chances crossing Beecroft Road at the lights, where there are normally people around to help and protect him if he gets into trouble. He would never go up in the lift after dark because that would place himself at risk of muggers hiding up there, or following him up into the bridge, where they could rob him at leisure and run away long before any police arrived.
I am sure RMS will explain that there will be CCTV cameras in the bridge walkway, but any competent crim would spray paint over the lenses of the cameras before attacking a helpless old man. Will the police respond every time the CCTV cameras go black?
The author of the letter also admits he dreads the thought of trying to cross the bridge against "hordes of children rushing in the opposite direction".
So thank you, Concerned Citizen of Beecroft, all we can say is that we fought hard either to stop the bridge or to get an explanation of why the politicians thought it was necessary. Both efforts failed.

Council Services Calender Updates

The council's website still shows 2015 dates for Bulky Waste Collection, for Beecroft areas those dates were February and July 2015. Apparently the web site calendar only gets updated at the end of the year, which doesn't help people plan! So instead we have to phone the council and ask, taking up our time and HSC staff time. Surely better to update the calendar?

Breakdown!

This monster B-Double truck, emerging from The Module building site, broke down at the traffic lights. The driver backed his rig and trailer down the street and the big yellow recovery vehicle was summoned.