A decline in drowning deaths among children under five is attributed to new pool and spa closure laws. However, water safety must continue to be a priority for pool and spa owners to prevent accidental drownings of children.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children under five, with most deaths occurring in backyard pools in the summer, data from Royal Life Saving shows.
The 2024 National Drowning Report found there were 323 drowning deaths in Australia in the last 12 months, of which 35 (11%) were in swimming pools, with more than half of them in backyard pools. For each fatal drowning accident, eight children were hospitalized because they had non-fatal drownings.
Drowning deaths among children under five have fallen 25% below the 10-year average, thanks to measures such as legislative changes, pool fencing and education.
In 2019, the Victorian government introduced safety standards requiring homeowners to register pools and spas with the council and have their safety barriers certified every four years.
Owners are encouraged to conduct routine safety checks on their barriers. This includes ensuring gates are self-closing, self-locking and have no gaps for children to get through.
Additional safety measures include removing walk-in items such as grills and patio furniture near barriers, keeping the gate closed at all times, and supervising children in and around the water.
Make water safety a priority for your family: knox.vic.gov.au/pools