The economic life-cycle of Australian swim schools can be observed as predictable as well as concerning in the absence of a robust and clear regulatory environment.
Swim schools tend to operate either at a local council pool, or in a smaller, stand-alone purpose built facility in the suburbs. The establishment of these facilities occurs either by way of a formal public procurement process that solicits tenders for the design and construction of commercial operators, or in some cases by individual a mum-and-dad swim school operators, selecting a local builder.
Regardless of the method of procurement, Australia does not have a requirement for a regulatory standard to be followed for the design pool water treatment plant. This is much unlike other industries, in which the red-tape to do anything is almost stifling commercial opportunity. For example, it would be unimaginable in Australia, to design say a new type of aircraft, or medicine without such regulatory oversight.
As a result of the absence of a design standard, the tenderers who participate to win the business of building a new public pool, are aware of the need to be competitive in their pricing, to avoid losing the opportunity to a competitor. And here’s the thing… when it comes to large public aquatic facilities, there are only a handful of businesses capable of taking on these projects, that can run into the $70-$120 MILLION dollars.
Then consider that aquatic facilities are meant to have an economic life of well over 50 years, and the only means to ensure the Health and Safety of swimmers when it comes to the public health risks associated with public pool water quality, are the EIGHT State and Territories’ guidelines for pool water quality.
This leads to the next conundrum, in that State Government legislate health laws, write guidelines, but leave the oversight to Local Governments (Australia’s councils), whom cannot possibly all afford to employ the level of qualified personnel required to do this job properly…
In our conclusion, this explains the clusterfvck we are witnessing all over Australia, where industry bodies, authorities and commercial operators are all deferring responsibility for the realised and reported public health tragedies that originate from non-compliant dangerously toxic public pool water quality.
There are families in Australia, just like yours, whom have lost their children having died from Asthma (up to 65 per annum!), or are being hospitalised with chronic illness and/or contracting avoidable diseases, and just because it is difficult to prove that the root cause was non-conforming pool water quality, during a risky swim they may have had four weeks ago, doesn’t mean that aquatic industry participants can keep looking the other way, when they themselves cannot explain the diseases away.
The time for change is now! If you agree, please get in touch to support our work.