Pool Rules Changed – Kicked Out

WHEN summer arrives in country towns, children take to their bikes and hit the pool, but this year in Scone the rules have changed and until you are 14 you can’t go to the pool with your friends.

UPDATE: The age is actually 15 and over without supervision.

Last year the rules were you had to be 10 years old, for most children this means they are in Year 5 or 6, but now it is not until most are in Year 10 at high school.

Pat Gleeson, dropped his granddaughter and her friends to the pool on the weekend, only to have to go back and pick them up because at 13 they weren’t allowed in.

“I don’t understand why it has changed and realistically if it is a rule that has been brought in for the city and not little country towns,” said Pat Gleeson.

“It’s one of the last areas where kids can thrown their mobile phones away and jump in the pool and have a bit of fun and it is important they can do that,” he said.

“Lots of people have swimming pools at home, but they come down here for the social interaction and outside mobile phones,” he said.

“I’d just like to see it changed, these kids are responsible and they can swim,” he said.

“My wife was here when the pool opened and I don’t think she was very old and probably never missed a day at the pool along with her three sisters,” he said.

“I hope the Council will look at this and change it now,” Pat Gleeson said.

Steve McDonald, general manger of Upper Hunter Shire Council said the new age was in line with the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

However, it is at the discretion of Council how these recommendations are implemented and if it needs to be applied to the the local swimming pools.

Pat Gleeson’s response to the reason the age has changed was, “well children under 14 can still go to church.”

The girls started coming to the pool together when they were 10 or 11 years old and enjoyed some “chill” time on hot days and said they would like to age limit to go back to 10.

“It’s stupid, because we all want to come down to the pool to chill, but we can’t,” said Brenna Crompton.

“We’ll have to have parents come down with us and we like to come after school,” said Shelby Golledge.

“Yesterday when it was really hot we wanted to come down for a swim but we couldn’t because none of our parents were available,” said  Caitlin Coady.

Local Councillors have received several phone calls from concerned residents and will be reviewing the new pool rules.

Related story: Editorial: Parents Know Best, Not Council.

Updated story: Water Getting Deeper for Council– October 23, 2018.