Council to investigate fencing of waterways

The Manukau City Council is looking at fencing ponds and other private and public waterways to save lives.

Its clean environment manager, Mohammed Hassan, said it wanted guidance from the Government if open waterways or ponds on public or private land should be fenced.

The move was the council's and Mr Hassan rejected any suggestion that the council was trying to be "politically correct".

Councils are responsible for enforcing swimming pool fencing legislation but the Government is responsible for revisions of the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act or new legislation involving the fencing of other bodies of water.

Council senior building adviser Ian Godfrey said he was unaware of anybody drowning in Manukau's ponds or open waterways.

"Statistically speaking children under 6 are 90 per cent more likely to drown in home swimming pools than they are in any other water-related activity," said Mr Godfrey.

The council's environment and urban design committee has yet to see a recommendation on the issue but its chairman, Noel Burnside, said he was opposed to the idea.

"Without pre-empting any debate that we might have on it, that is my initial reaction ... Simple as that and we'll just take it from there. I'd be very surprised if the council itself decided to go that way."

A spokesman for the Minister of Local Government, Chris Carter, said the minister would want to see a proposal from the council before commenting.

Mr Hassan said the council wanted clarification because some ratepayers and residents were concerned at a perceived double standard between the council enforcing fencing of swimming pools legislation when it did not fence waterways and ponds.

"You have got different approaches being applied by different councils."