Pool Rules and Supervision

Watch Around Water is an education and public awareness raising program that addresses the supervision of young children at public swimming pools. The program assists aquatic staff to promote safe supervision practices and provides a safe venue for the community to participate in sport and recreation.

The program was developed by the aquatics industry and is based on the premise that it is unrealistic to expect lifeguards to provide the constant and close supervision required for each young child at the pool at all times. Although lifeguards should always be present, the responsibility of supervision of children is shared between lifeguards and parents or responsible carers.

Watch Around Water Key Principles

• Children under 5 years must be constantly supervised and remain within arms reach;
• Children under 10 years must be accompanied into the facility and constantly supervised by a parent/ guardian;
• Unsupervised children (of any age) will be removed from the water if the lifeguard is concerned for their safety.

This year the Gawler Aquatic Centre has implemented a new policy in regards to supervision ratios in line with the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (GSPO). The Supervision Ratios have been implemented as they are best practice and assist in providing a safer swimming environment to all. The Supervision Ratios will apply to all Learn to Swim Families. The Supervision Ratios will be as follows:

• Maximum Ratio: Children under 5 years – 1 adult to 2 children aged 0-4 years. Children 0-4 years of age be accompanied in the water at all times by a parent/caregiver.
• Maximum Ratio: Children under 10 years (5-9 years) – 1 adult to 4 children aged 5-9 years. Children aged 5-9 years of age must be actively supervised at all times by a parent/caregiver.
• Maximum Combination Ratio: 1 adult to 1 child aged 0-4 years and 3 children aged 5-9 years. If an adult has one child 0-4 years of age they can only have a maximum of three children aged 5-9 years old.

1. Use of Gawler Aquatic and Recreation facilities is done so at your own risk. In the event or occurrence of an accident or incident, Gawler Aquatic and Recreation and Services staff will provide first aid to the level of their training and call emergency services if necessary.
2. Visitors of Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres are required to comply with current South Australian Emergency Management Directives and COVID-safe practices.
3. Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres are a smoke and vape free facility. Smoking is only permitted in designated areas outside of the facilities.
4. Drugs and alcohol are not permitted within Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres. Patrons who are under the influence of drugs and or alcohol will be removed from the Centre.
5. Glass, in any form, is not permitted to be brought into any Gawler Aquatic and Recreation facility.
6. Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Services Centre Management reserves the right to refuse entry to any member of the public into either the Gawler Aquatic and or Recreation Centre.
7. Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Services accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to any personal property while utilising its facilities.
8. Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres promote a family friendly Environment. Threatening, offensive, discriminative, vulgar behaviour and public nuisance will not be tolerated. Patrons exhibiting such behaviour will be removed from the Centre by either management or police and will be issued with a Letter of Patron Removal, excluding them from re-entering the facility.
9. Photography is not permitted within the Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres unless an Electronic Device Policy form has been signed and a red wristband issued by a staff. All conditions within the electronic device policy must be adhered to.
10. All instructions from Centre staff must be adhered to. Failure to comply with staff instructions will result in removal from the Centre.
11. Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Services under the Surveillance Devices Act 2016 reserves the right to utilise security cameras (CCTV) and Body Worn Cameras (BWC’s) in its facilities in the interest of staff and public safety. By entering Gawler Aquatic and Recreation sites you are consenting to being filmed and Council reserves the right to use security footage for security and investigational purposes. Persons whom do not consent to being filmed will be asked to leave the prescribed Centre. Use of all CCTV and Body Worn Camera footage will be used in line with the Surveillance Devices Act 2016.
12. With the exception of assistance and service animals, pets are not permitted to enter Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres.
13. Children under the age of 10 are not permitted entry to Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Centres without being accompanied by a parent or guardian or a responsible person aged 16 years or older. Responsible persons must actively supervise the minors in their care while in the facility.
14. The Gawler Aquatic and Recreation Services has the right to take photos and use images of it's programs and facility operations, for promotional and marketing material to promote its programs and services. No patrons and program users will be named in any promotional and or marketing material.

1. No running on the concourse surrounding the pool facilities.
2. Gawler Aquatic Centre is a Watch Around Water compliant facility, please refer to our Watch Around Water Policy for supervision rules and ratios.
3. Appropriate swimwear must be worn when using the pool facilities at The Gawler Aquatic Centre (no street wear, t-shirts, shirts, jeans, underwear etc. allowed).
4. Those who require a floatation device (lifejacket, pool noodle, float mat), must remain in an area of the water where they are able to comfortably touch the bottom.
5. Non-toilet trained infants, including children and adults who are incontinent must always wear aquatic swim nappies in the water. Regular nappies are not suitable for use in public swimming pools.
6. Gawler Aquatic Centre Staff will not tolerate the performance of flips, bombs, sueys or suicide dives on any occasion.
7. Diving board rules:
   1. To use the diving board, you must be able to swim unaided to the side of the pool without the assistance of a floatation device (lifejacket, pool noodle, float mat) or another patron.
   2. Only one person on the diving board at any time.
   3. Only one person in the area board area at a time.
   4. Only forward-facing dives, bombs and other tricks are to be performed.
   5. No running along the diving board.
   6. Do not dive sideways, only directly ahead.
   7. A maximum of two bounces at any time.
   8. Lifeguards have the right to swim test any patrons at their own discretion, before using the diving board.
8. Swimming is not permitted in the following cases:
   1. Noticeable open wounds or sores.
   2. Presence of a notifiable disease which could be transmitted to others.
   3. Diarrhoea, 2 weeks after experiencing symptoms.

Failure to comply with any of the pool rules at the Gawler Aquatic Centre will result in patrons being asked to leave the Centre or be removed by Centre Management.