The 'extreme' new rules for parents at their children's swimming lessons

Children will not be allowed to enter the swimming pools of a Melbourne council unless their parents adhere to a comprehensive new set of rules.

The Yarra City Council initiated the ‘Watch around Water’ program at the start of this year, requiring parents to take a far more active role when around all pools under their jurisdiction.

Under the new safety requirements, parents will now have to be within arms reach of their children, wear a designated wrist band and stay off their phones when their children are in the water.

If a child under the age of 10 wishes to enter the water on either side of the lesson, parents must now also get into the pool with them.

“Drowning is silent and quick. Children fatigue quickly in water and have underdeveloped awareness of risk and self-management,” the council said in a statement.

“Parents/guardians are better positioned than Lifeguards to be aware of their child’s swimming ability and their physical and mental fatigue levels.

“Our Lifeguards may be supervising up to 100 people in the water. We rely on cooperation and assistance from parents/guardians in keeping their children safe in and around the water by following this policy at all times.”

However, not everyone is buying into the “extreme” policy, with 3AW Tom Elliot saying the council seem more concerned about their own interests.

“It sounds like [councils] are worried about being sued… they have sort of grabbed these rules and absolutely run with them,” Tom said.

He said it will inevitably result in parents being reluctant to jump into the pool, ultimately leading to children missing out on the chance to get into the water outside of their lessons.

For a look at the full list of rules in the Watch around Water Safety, click here.

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