Blue Mountains City Council has moved against absorbing fees for mandatory pool fence inspections, and said it has "no say" in whether the inspections occur.
At a meeting in August the council moved to investigate the fees, and a report received in September confirmed that the council would not be altering its fee structure.
"Given the fee is set by NSW Government, the Council does not recover the full cost of running the swimming pool barrier inspection program," the council's business paper said.
"This means that Council already partly subsidises the proactive program in the interest of community safety.
"It is not considered equitable to impose further cost onto all ratepayers whether they have a pool or not. The current fee structure is more of a user pay system and this is considered appropriate."
Required by the Swimming Pools Act 1992, these pool fence inspections cost $150 for the first time and $100 for the first re-inspection, to be completed at least every five years.
Winmalee resident and pool owner Ally Adams said she doesn't see a problem with the inspections.
"In my opinion, if you are going to have a pool, you are required for it to be safe," she told the Gazette.
"There's an obligation when you have a pool... these things [compulsory fencing] are all designed to keep people safe. So as a pool owner, I get it."
In NSW, 164 children aged 0 to 4 have drowned in the last 20 years, according to Royal Life Saving Australia. Furthermore, 60 per cent of these drownings occurred in a swimming pool.
"This is the time of year to check your pool fence and gate" said Justin Scarr, Royal Life Saving CEO.
"If there is a lapse in supervision, a correctly installed and regularly maintained pool barrier can prevent your child from drowning. It is important that pool's gates are not propped open for any reason.
"Always check you've locked the pool gate behind you and restrict children's access to outdoor areas without adult supervision."
For more information on pool safety, visit the council's website at https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/backyard-pools and Royal Life Saving Australia's website at https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/.
