Watch Around Water

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 14 in Australia and unfortunately drownings have increased in recent years.

In response to this, MAC has a Life Saving Victoria endorsed Watch Around Water Policy that is applicable for every visit to MAC. It is an industry-wide standard that MAC applies as policy to keep children safe within our pools. 

Children under five (5) years of age and the supervising adult are required to wear a pink wristband at all times. The supervising guardian must be within arm’s reach and in the water with the child outside of class times. The supervising parent/guardian receives complimentary entry to the pool to be in the water with their child outside of their lesson and must also wear a pink wristband. The supervision ratio at all times for children under five (5) is two to one guardian. 

During classes, a parent/guardian must be actively supervising at all times. 

Children under 10 years old must wear a yellow wristband and a parent/guardian must be present and actively supervising at all times, even during swimming lessons. 

The supervising parent/guardian does not need to be in the water and receives complimentary access to supervise the child from the pool’s edge. However, if they intend on getting into the water with their child before or after their swim lesson they must pay the applicable fee or have an appropriate MAC membership. The supervision ratio at all times for children under 10 is four (4) to one (1) guardian. 

Children 10 years old and over are encouraged to have a supervising parent/guardian with them, however, they may access the facility without supervision. It is important that parents/guardians use their knowledge of an individual child’s swimming ability and general development to determine the accompaniment required. 

The minimum age for a supervising adult is 16 years old and to provide appropriate active supervision you must position yourself to have a clear view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between yourself and the child/children. 

Additional supervision rules

• The minimum age for a supervising adult is 16 years old
• A ratio of one (1) adult per four (4) children under 10 years old
• A ratio of one (1) adult per two (2) children under five (5) years old
• When combining age groups, a total ratio of one (1) adult per four (4) children applies with no more than two (2) under five (5) years.
• MAC staff reserve the right to remove any child from the water if they have concerns about their safety.

More information

For more information, please contact MAC customer service or visit the Life Saving Victoria website to read more about the program.