Justin Scar, chief executive officer of Royal Life Saving Austrlaia said "I can understand her disappointment...but the policy is to remind parents that lifeguards are not babysitters and swimming pools are not daycares. The guidelines are intended to ensure that the parents play an active role in the supervision of their children in public pools.'
He said parents often would leave kids in the pool while they sat in the cafe or on their phones.
Mr Scarr highlighted the need for the policy as seven children have drowned in public swimming pools and another 170 have been hospitalised as a result of a near-drowning in the past 10 years.
The Royal Life Saving Australia policy for public pools requires children aged between 0-5 stay within arm's reach of an adult.
The facility has been open for two-and-a-half years and the policy has been enforced 'as best as possible without an issue at all'.'
The young family now choose to go to Enfield pool which they have found is friendlier for children and where the policy was not enforced as strictly.
Reference:
"Lifesaver Boss Hits Back At Mum Who Complained About Being Refused Entry To A Pool", Daily Mail Australia, 24 October 2019