The voice of the Wet Industry

www.splashmagazine.com.au
August 2008/September 2008
DECORATIVE TILING
Eye catching ornamentation,
in and out of the water
How to make it pay
LEARN-TO-SWIM
Keeping the US
market aoat
ABOVEGROUND
POOLS
Expo Edition
SPLASH!
At last, someone has combined the worlds best pool products
into one perfect Pool Package.
The Package starts with Hayward, the worlds best range of pumps, lters,
gas heaters and cleaners.
Next we add the worlds best Water Management System from Puresilk.
And nally, the worlds best Electric Heating Systems from AquaCal.
Then, as if thats not enough, we back it all up with the best customer
service and the most competitive pricing in the industry.
Now thats Cleva!
AquaCal
Contact ClevaQuip Ph: +61 3 9792 2325 Address: 163 Greens Road, Dandenong, 3175 VIC www.cleva.com.au
contents
Contents
42
70
34
46
INDUSTRY NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Whats happening in the pool and spa industry
BOOK SHELF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Reviews and freebies
INDUSTRY CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Key dates to keep in mind
INDUSTRY MOVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Pool industry comings and goings
ENVIRO UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Do water bans achieve their aims?
SAFETY UPDATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Latest on CPR and potty skimmers
SPASA AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
NSW award winners
DECORATIVE TILING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Art of the ancients in modern pools
CHOOSING BETWEEN A POOL OR A COURTYARD . . . 42
Why not have both?
POOL PUMPS HEADING FOR THE STARS . . . . . . . . . . 44
Help set the standard
US AFLOAT WITH ABOVEGROUND POOLS . . . . . . . . . 46
Stuttering economy sees rise in AG
CREATING AN IDEAL TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Who makes the grade?
CHANGES FOR WORKERS COMPENSATION . . . . . . . 60
NSW compo update
WORKPLACE CHANGES COMING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Keeping an eye on Federal reforms
SPLASH! COMMERCIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
News and features from the commercial sector
RESORT POOL AS RELAXATION DRAWCARD . . . . . . . 70
Idling at the Byron at Byron
LEARNING TO LOVE LEARN-TO-SWIM . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
How to make it pay
NEW PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
The latest equipment, materials and technology
SUBSCRIPTION FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
With free iPod offer
READERS SURVEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Six dozen bottles of wine to give away
ADVERTISERS INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 3
Sunbather developed HiPEC solar to heat
faster, weigh less and be more durable. They
punched holes in the webbing to increase
performance and introduced the rst range of
award-winning designer colours.
Then, in a world rst, their Flat Loop
Technology won the Product Innovation
Award. FLT allowed solar strips to lay at
against the roof eliminating big loops that look
ugly and can collect dirt and debris.
Kwik-lok followed soon after cutting
installation time and cost and now the amazing
SunSwitch solar controller is providing pool
owners, pool technicians and pool shops with
a vast range of previously unheard of features.
Having generated pool heat naturally, it was
logical for Sunbather to then look for ways to
conserve it naturally. And the best way to do
that was with a pool cover.
Sunbather soon developed the Thermal
Blanket to lock in warmth over night and
extend the hours of swimming each day,
and the days of swimming each year.
Safety was also a major issue so the
Security Blanket was developed. It not only
retained heat but had interlocking slats that
could support the weight of a child or small
animal for total safety. And these are just two
of the great cover, roller and blanket ideas
from Sunbather.
And throughout this evolution Sunbather
has also focused on delivering worlds best
practice in installation and customer service
through its network of dealers and in Australia
and around the world.
So if youd like to be part of the Sunbather
revolution and always stay one step ahead
just ring (03) 5979 5777 or visit the website.
For over 30 years Sunbather has pioneered environmentally
responsible technologies for pool heating and heat retention.
Contact Sunbather on 03 5979 5777
or www.sunbather.com.au
Collect and Conserve!
Sunbathers great ideas
use energy... naturally.
editorial
I
ts that time again: Showtime!
Once every two years, we get ready for the
biggest swimming pool and spa trade show
in the Southern Hemisphere: SPLASH!
In 2006, the show was an overwhelming success.
That was the rst time it had been organised by
Interpoint; it built upon the earlier success of
Carol and Kevin Benger, and grew to a new level.
This year, its going a step further. There is an extra
pavilion and almost one hundred exhibitors. There are
two full days of seminars and so many add-on events
it has now become SPLASH! Week, starting with the pre-show workshops on
Monday and Tuesday, through the Trade Show and seminars on Wednesday
and Thursday (July 30 and 31), and the Environmental Awards Dinner with
Anh Do on Thursday night.
On top of all that, theres the welcome drinks on Wednesday night, a site
inspection to WhiteWater World on Thursday morning, and the Andrew Simons
Golf Day on Friday. And if youre on the Gold Coast on Friday evening,
it makes good sense to stay on for the weekend and enjoy the surf and
sunshine before heading back to work.
Above and beyond all that is the irreplaceable opportunity to network with
industry members from around the country and the world. I enjoyed the 2006
event immensely, and look forward to meeting new people and old friends,
while discussing new ideas and happenings in the industry.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Chris Maher
Editor
chrismaher@intermedia.com.au
Welcome to SPLASH!
Swimming Pool Lifestyle And Spa Hi-tech
Published by
The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd
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Ph: (02) 9660 2113 Fax: (02) 9660 4419
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Managing Director Interpoint Events: Simon Cooper
Editor: Chris Maher
Phone: 0412 048 639
Email: chrismaher@intermedia.com.au
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Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or
misleading statements that may appear in this publication.
This issue of SPLASH! magazine published by The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd
(Intermedia) may contain magazine or subscription; offers, competitions, forms
and surveys (Reader Offers) which require you to provide information about
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Copyright 2008 - The Intermedia Group Pty Ltd.
Audited Circulation
Average Net Distribution Per Issue, 4,421
CAB Yearly Audit
Period ended March 31st, 2008
The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those
of the above supporters, nor should any product advertised in SPLASH!
magazine be seen to be endorsed by the above.
The main cover shot shows the luxurious
pool at the Byron at Bryon resort. There
is more on this pool on page 70. The
inset pictures are examples from the
feature on page 34 about the ancient
art of decorating with tiles.
This issues cover
Proudly supported by:
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 5
IntelliFlo. The worlds best pool
pump is alsothe greenest.
www.onga.com.au
Superbly engineered with a permanent magnet motor, IntelliFlo uses far less energy than other pool pumps. As well
as consuming less energy and generating fewer carbon emissions, it can also reduce your pools running costs
by up to 90%. To find out more about IntelliFlo, the worlds most energy efficient pool pump, visit our website.
industry news
NEW research from the Housing Indus-
try Association (HIA) indicates Australia
will need almost one million new homes
to meet the anticipated growth in popula-
tion over the next ve years.
The research considers Australias
permanent and short term immigration
intake, household formation trends and
demolition activity.
HIA CEO of Policy, Chris Lamont, says
that the challenge of building this many
homes in just ve years is a daunting one
but essential if the increased demand is
to be met. He says the demand is being
driven primarily by two key factors: very
strong immigration and a decline in the
number of persons per residential dwell-
ing.
Record migration and demand for hous-
ing is being seen in a number of areas, but
is perhaps most signicant in respect to
the private rental market where vacancy
rates are hovering around 1 per cent.
Demand for housing is really biting as
evidenced by record low vacancy rates in
the private rental market, he says. HIA
research shows that in 2008/9, 190,000
new dwellings will be required. This is
40,000 more dwellings than are expected
to be built.
Australias population is growing at his-
torically high levels. Resident population
grew by 332,000 or 1.6 per cent in 2007.
Much of this increase (184,000) was due
to growth in net overseas migration. The
growth in net permanent migration is
expected to increase by a further 37,500
in 2008/9.
Most of this increased demand is ex-
pected to be in the capital cities.
Meanwhile, the Senate Select Commit-
tee on Housing Affordability has tabled
the Committees report A good house is
hard to nd.
The committee conducted public
hearings across all mainland state capitals
as well as many outer metropolitan and
regional areas, and found the severity and
the nature of the affordability problems
differ from region to region.
In the Western Australian mining town
of Karratha, for example, the housing af-
fordability crisis could partly be attributed
to the failure of the state governments
land and property developer, LandCorp,
to plan for the release of sufcient land.
In western Sydney however, the problem
was not a shortage of land but housing
with inadequate infrastructure and the
developers failure to build the type of
housing required.
Recommendations include increasing
the supply of social housing provided by
governments and community organisa-
tions, and more resources for rental
assistance. A link to the full report can be
found at www.splashmagazine.com.au.
The Federal Government also an-
nounced a $512m Housing Affordability
Fund (HAF) which will be distributed by
direct grants, primarily to local govern-
ments, local government associations and
State or Territory Governments, through a
competitive selection process.
Some of this money will be allocated
to developing electronic development
assessment systems and online tracking
services to reduce red tape and streamline
planning approvals.
A link to a HAF consultation paper can
be found at www.splashmagazine.com.au.
We need a million more homes
Waterco sells
chemical arm
WATERCO has sold the part of its
chemical business which supplies
supermarkets, mass merchants and
hardware customers. It was bought by
Pool Resources in June 2008. Waterco
has retained the part of its chemical
business which supplies independent
pool stores and the Swimart chain.
As part of the sale, Pool Resources
has become responsible for the Banks-
town site and will take over the lease.
In a statement, Waterco said it would
like to thank its chemical customers
for their support over the years and
is condent that Pool Resources will
build on this strong relationship.
Waterco remains a supplier of swim-
ming pool equipment and accessories
to the supermarket, hardware and
mass merchant stores.
Online
labelling stalls
THE swimming pool and spa industry,
though the active participation of indi-
vidual members and SPASA NSW, has
been in discussions with the Australian
Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines
Authority (APVMA) regarding the
delays in labelling pool chemicals.
There has been hope that the use of
online templates would streamline the
process of applying for labels, which
would have a benet for many mem-
bers of the industry from chemical
suppliers to pool shops and ultimately
end-users.
However, glitches have been report-
edly found in the process, delaying
the successful implementation of this
scheme. SPLASH! will report more
in following issues as the situation
develops.
IF it wasnt for his backyard swimming
pool, Coffs Harbour MP Andrew
Fraser might be without a home
right now.
One night late in June, a bar heater
caught alight in his house, setting
off the smoke alarm and waking the
family. Within 20 minutes, volunteer
re-ghters arrived and began
attempting to put out the blaze.
His daughter was treated at Coffs
Harbour hospital for burns to her
feet while there-ghters battled for
an hourto save the house.
They later claimed that one of
the main reasons they managed
to save most of the house was the
availability of the swimming pool
water, which was pumped over the
re to put it out.
Swimming pool
saves MPs home
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 7
NSW (Head Ofce)
02 9898 8686
QLD
07 3299 9900
VIC / TAS
03 9764 1211
SA / NT
08 8244 6000
WA
08 92731900
Equip your pool
with Watercos
innovative pool
equipment
MultiCyclone centrifugal lter
MultiCyclone is a new pre-
fltration device that can help
you save water and reduce
flter maintenance. Based on
the principals of centrifugal
water fltration, MultiCyclone
collects 80% of the dirt
before it reaches the pool
flter and it only takes 15
litres of water to fush.
Watercos innovative range of pool equipment not only maximises your
time in the pool, but also delivers signicant water and energy savings.
Micron breglass lters
Manufactured from the
highest grade of non
corrosive materials and
employing the latest
in fbreglass winding
technology, Micron
fbreglass flters are
designed and built for
many years of trouble
free operation.
Fulo Tri-cartridge lters
Fulfo Tri-cartridge flter houses
three individual pleated flter
cartridges, maximising its dirt
holding capacity and minimising
flter maintenance, leading to
signifcant water savings.
Waterco Hydrostorm Plus pumps
Hydrostorm plus pumps are hydraulically
effcient, high performance pumps designed
to provide the extra power needed to cope
with ancillary systems
like water features,
in-foor cleaning,
vacuum cleaning
and swim jets.
BriteStream LED lights
The BriteStream utilises super bright LEDs
capable of delivering 352 lumens of light,
making it one of the
brightest LED underwater
pool lights available on
the market. Yet it only
operates on 15% of the
electrical power of an
underwater pool halogen
light.
Electroheat heat pumps
The latest advancement
in swimming pool heating,
Electroheat heat pumps
are an energy effcient
way to heat your pool.
Electroheat produces
up to 5 times more heat
energy than the electrical
energy it consumes.
Chemo chemical controllers
Chemfo automatic control systems measure
and precisely control set levels of sanitiser
(chlorine) and pH
balance (acid) ensuring
the safest possible
swimming conditions
and minimising
chemical use.
Electrochlor salt chlorinators
Electrochlor automatically generates chlorine
to keep your pool clean
and healthy. Electrochlor
continually monitors
its chlorine production
and the pools salt level,
displaying vital statistics
via its backlit LCD panel.
Established since 1981, Waterco is an Australian public listed company involved in the design
and manufacture of pool and spa equipment. The companys advanced manufacturing and
engineering techniques have delivered innovative products to over 40 countries.
industry news
THE Master Plumbers Association of
Queensland (MPAQ) is establishing
a committee to review the draft of
the Queensland Water Commissions
(QWC) South East Queensland Water
Strategy.
The committee will be chaired by
past president Bill Watson with support
provided by technical ofcer, Ernie
Kretschmer.
MPAQ President Bob Kimlin says its
intended that the strategy be examined
from a practical perspective, considering
opportunities for the plumbing industry
to make positive contributions to the
outcomes.
According to the Water Commission,
the strategy is designed to provide
certainty in the supply of water
requirements for the next 50 years.
It seeks to support a comfortable,
sustainable and prosperous lifestyle while
meeting the needs of urban, industrial
and rural growth and the environment.
It contains detailed analysis of supply
and demand factors and seeks feedback
on the balance between demand
management and infrastructure
investment to achieve appropriate
levels of service. The plan sets out an
approach toward securing South East
Queenslands future water supply,
including implementing a range of
demand management measures and
planning for the building of new
infrastructure.
It includes:
Target 230 the permanent
residential water usage target,
Business striving for best practice
water use,
New climate resilient water supplies
such as puried recycled water
and desalination schemes,
Drought response plans so medium
level restrictions occur no more
than once every 25 years on average,
Power stations and major industrial
customers using recycled
water where available,
Additional water supplies
for rural production.
Members of the MPAQ can send
comments to the committee at ernie.
kretschmer@mpaq.com.au. Others
can comment directly to the QWC.
You can view the full strategy from a
link at www.splashmagazine.com.au.
Send any comments on the draft South
East Queensland Water Strategy in
writing to: Queensland Water
Commission PO Box 15087,
City East 4002
You can also email qwcenquiries@
qwc.qld.gov.au, attaching any additional
documents, or use the online feedback
form available from a link on the News
tab at www.splashmagazine.com.au.
Comments must be provided before
31 July 2008. For further information,
contact the QWC on 1300 789 906.
The nal report will be used to
inform the Queensland Government
and local government regarding future
water security programs.
Water supply strategy under review
Are your workers contractors or employees?
WHEN it comes time to
sort out paperwork for the
tax ofce, some people in
the swimming pool and spa
industry have trouble deter-
mining whether the people
theyre paying for their labour
are actually employees or are
in fact contractors. You know
what you call them, but the
tax ofce may have a differ-
ent opinion.
Its an important distinction
to determine the correct tax
and superannuation obliga-
tions. Determining a workers
status depends upon the
terms and conditions under
which the work is performed,
as well as the relationship
between the employer and
worker.
To help businesses un-
derstand and meet tax
and super obligations, the
Australian Tax Ofce (ATO)
has a number of web-based
tools. The free interactive
tools have been developed
for employers to provide an
easy way to determine and
calculate their tax and super
obligations.
The tools include:
Employee/Contractor De-
cision Tool, to help work
out whether your new or
existing workers are con-
tractors or employees for
tax and super purposes;
Superannuation Guaran-
tee Eligibility Decision
Tool, to help you work out
if you have an obligation
to make super contribu-
tions for your workers;
Superannuation Guaran-
tee Contributions Calcu-
lator that calculates how
much super you should
be contributing for your
eligible workers.
All the tools are free and
available 24/7 on the ATOs
website. There is a specic
tool for the building and con-
struction industry, called the
Building And Construction
Industry Employee/Contrac-
tor Decision Tool.
This decision tool is de-
signed to help a payer in the
building and construction
industry understand their
Commonwealth taxation and
superannuation obligations
in relation to an individual
worker or class of individual
workers.
Provided your answers re-
ect the actual circumstances
of your arrangement with the
worker(s), and those circum-
stances dont change, the
ATO wont charge a penalty
or general interest charge
(GIC) that might otherwise
apply. You should print a
copy of the report as a record
of the decision outcome for
this particular arrangement.
You will remain anonymous
at all times. No personal in-
formation will be transmitted
to the ATO.
The tool does not provide
guidance on payers obliga-
tions under state and territory
legislation for example,
payroll tax obligations.
Go to www.ato.gov.au and
click on Rates, Calculators
& Tools and then Busi-
ness, or go to the News tab
at www.splashmagazine.com.
au for a direct link to the tool.
CHECK WITH THE ATOS DECISION TOOL
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 9
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Pool Controls Sales: NSW: 0437 078 115 QLD: 0411 078 126 VIC: 0411 078 127 WA: (08) 9344 7044
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All you need to help maintain
clear, healthy water... Automatically
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Controller

DM52
THE NSW Trade Day
was held in June, with
47 exhibitors including
representation from Cooke
Industries, Associated
Controls, Jandy, Pool Controls,
Quartzon, Lincoln, Quality
Pool Interior Supplies,
Waterlinx, QIS, Swimline,
Cantera Stones, Solartech,
Pool Ranger, Aqua Joy,
Sunlover Solar, Zodiac,
Supreme Solar, Zeolite,
Aqua Quip, The Plumbing
Shop, Clevaquip, Complete
Temporary Pool Fencing,
Heliocol Solar, Davey, Prime
Sunbather, Sunbather NSW,
Poolstore, AstralPool, Niagara,
Heliocol, Spa Electrics,
Waterco, International
Quadratics, Chlorine
Discounters, Lo Chlor, PQ,
Poolrite, Hayda, Pentair,
Automated Pool Products, The
Italian Mosaic Pool Company,
Poolwater Products, The Pool
Tile Company, ABGAL and
Pool-Water Products.
NSW Trade Day
HERE ARE SOME SHOTS FROM THE SPASA NSW TRADE DAY, HELD AT ROSEHILL RACECOURSE ON JULY 26 & 27
WATERCO New Zealand hosted a
June open day at its Penrose warehouse
in Auckland, with the aim of showing
customers the new products for the
upcoming summer, and highlighting
the scope of Watercos range from spa
products to large commercial applications.
The company also communicated to
its customers that it had returned to a
regular stock situation after the Waterco
Far East re.
Around 90 attendees came from as far off
as Christchurch, including customers from
many different aqua products businesses
ranging from aquaculture to commercial,
and including two new Swimart
franchisees, who took over their new
stores of Quay St and Gleneld that week.
NZ open day
industry news
Heliocol catching up
on their reading
Chlorine Discounters
enjoyed the show
Demonstrating the
Kreepy Krauly
Niagara saw
some trafc
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 11
industry news
PENTAIR & GE IN FILTER VENTURE
PENTAIR and GE Water & Process
Technologies, a unit of the General
Electric Company, have announced a
joint venture to combine their respective
global water softener and residential water
ltration businesses. The venture, Pentair
Residential Filtration, will take advantage
of GEs and Pentairs technology and
Pentairs expansive distribution channels.
Pentair chairman and CEO Randall
J Hogan says that the joint venture will
place both companies in a better position
to serve residential customers with indus-
try-leading technical applications in the
areas of water conditioning, whole house
ltration, point of use water management
and water sustainability.
Further, this joint venture advances
Pentairs current residential ltration strat-
egy for growth, he says. We believe we
will accelerate revenue growth by selling
GEs existing residential conditioning and
treatment products through Pentairs sales
channels, and by gaining access to some
of GEs current and emerging ltration
technologies.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pen-
tair has an 80 percent ownership stake and
GE has a 20 percent stake of Pentair Resi-
dential Filtration. In 2007, the combined
residential and commercial net sales of
the parent companies were approximately
$US450m.
Pentair Residential Filtration will
serve as the primary sales channel for
Pentairs and GEs respective global
residential water ltration and water
softener businesses. It will also serve as
the manufacturing arm for residential
and commercial tanks, valves, and some
limited ltration products for the parent
companies. Pentair and GE will continue
to serve existing municipal, commercial
and industrial water treatment customers
separately, sourcing select products from
the joint venture as needed.
THERMOSPAS
RECOVERS FROM FIRE
ThermoSpas Connecticut manufac-
turing plant caught re in May after a
mechanical failure in part of the breglass
process allowed ammable chemicals to
mix.The company says the re was quickly
controlled and resulted in minimal dam-
age and no serious injuries. One worker
was taken to hospital, as were a number
of re-ghters, but all were soon released.
Andrew Tournas, president of
ThermoSpas, praised his workers who
turned up on their day off to help get
the facility back on line.
MORE US KIDS DROWNING;
LESS IN CARE
A US Governments Consumer Product
Safety Commission has released a report
showing an increase in the number
children under ve drowning in pools and
spas. An estimated 319 under-5s died in
pool and spa incidents in 2005, the latest
year for which the agency had data
74 more deaths than in 2004.
Children between age one and two
accounted for the majority of deaths,
and drowning occurred most often
when children were in the water without
an adults knowledge.
However, the report also showed fewer
children were treated in emergency rooms
for pool and spa injuries: about 2200 chil-
dren in 2007, down from 3900 in 2006.
MEDALLION POOLS
HIT BY TWISTER
Medallion Pools Virginia factory
and distribution centre was rocked by a
tornado in April. The tail of the twister
devastated a 70m strip more than a
kilometre long through the area, ripping
off the roof of the factory and damaging
many other buildings. The company says
it recovered quickly from the event and
is now operating again.
BASKETBALLER TO
ADDRESS IPSE FAIR
Legendary NBA player Bill Walton will
deliver the keynote address during the
2008 International Pool, Spa, Patio Expo
on November 18-20 in Las Vegas.
During his presentation, Walton will
discuss the characteristics that create
success in business, including focusing
on teamwork, hard work and a positive
attitude. Walton played college basketball
at UCLA, where he was a member of the
1972 and 1973 NCAA championship
teams that accumulated a record 88-
game winning streak. He won two NBA
championship titles and was named the
NBAs Most Valuable Player in 1978. In
1993, he was inducted into the Basketball
Hall of Fame; in 1997, he was selected as
one of the NBAs 50 greatest players of all
time. Walton is also the second of only
four players in the history of the NBA to
lead the league in both blocked shots and
rebounding in the same season.
Bill Waltons Hall of Fame career
provides a great story, said Bill Weber,
Association of Pool & Spa Professionals
(APSP) CEO. Many similarities exist
between what it takes to succeed at the
highest level of competitive sport and what
it takes to succeed in the challenging pool,
spa and backyard marketplace.
BRITAIN HIT BY DIPPING CRAZE
Its called dipping but its not a lot of
fun not if youre the pool owner, that is.
Web-savvy teenagers in Britain are using
Google Earth to nd the location
of homes with local swimming pools,
then post the address on Facebook to
organise an impromptu party without
the owners knowledge.
The police have said that many home
owners return from work to nd their
backyard full of beer cans, or are woken
in the middle of the night to nd
youngsters swimming in their pool.
These impromptu parties often involve
the participants wearing fancy dress
and bringing pushbikes so they can
escape quickly.
The craze has been compared to the
skaters pool craze in the seventies, when
Californian skateboarders would slowly
drive around the Santa Monica suburbs,
with a lookout standing on the roof of a
car, searching for pools in vacated homes.
They would sometimes even have pumps
to drain the pool if needed, so they
could skate in the empty pool shell.
Around the globe
12 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
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book review
The SPLASH! Bookshelf
Win a copy
SPLASH! has a copy of Boycott to give away. For a chance
to win this book, email: splashcomp@intermedia.com.au.
In the subject line write the name of the Olympics at the
centre of the controversy. In the body of the message include
your name and address. The rst received correct entry
will be sent a copy of the book.
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IN 1980, at the
height of the Cold
War, the Fraser
government told the
Australian Olympic
Federation (AOF)
to boycott the
Moscow Olympics,
in response to the
USSRs invasion of
Afghanistan.
The AOF refused.
By the time the
Australian team
marched into the
Opening Ceremony,
the controversy
had split Australian
public opinion. The
Olympic team had
deed pressure from
the highest levels and unprecedented public criticism.
Australian sport would take years to recover.
Lisa Forrest was just sixteen when she was named captain
of the womens Olympic swim team. Boycott recounts her
experiences of this bitter rift.
With interviews from the signicant players, including
Malcolm Fraser, executives of the AOF, journalists and
athletes, this compelling narrative describes how the 1980
Olympians fought the government, the public, the media and
each other in order to full their dreams, and uphold their
belief that the Olympic Games is about peace, not politics.
Boycott is published by ABC Books and is available from
ABC Bookshops, ABC Centres and other selected bookshops
for an RRP of $35.
A YOUNG AUSSIE SWIMMER
MEETS COLD WAR POLITICS HEAD-ON
14 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
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Go to
www.splashmagazine.com.au
and click on Directory
(plus news, events, industry links and much more)
F
You mean I can
nd every pool
product I need just
by clicking here?
Industry Calendar
2008
July 18-Aug 2 Rescue 2008, International Life Saving
championships, Berlin (pool events) and
Warnemnde (open water events)
July 26 WA Awards Night
July 28-29 Qld Education Infrastructure Conference,
Marriott Hotel, Brisbane
July 30-31 SPLASH! Pool & Spa Trade Show,
Conrad Jupiters, Gold Coast The
biggest pool and spa trade expo
in the Southern Hemisphere
July 31 SPLASH! Environmental
Awards Gala Dinner
Aug 1 SPLASH! Andrew Simons
Memorial Golf Day
Aug 8-24 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing
Aug 15-17 Victorian Winter Spa and
Pool Consumer Show
Aug 25-28 National Water 2008, Sotel Melbourne
Sept 3-5 International Swimming Pool, Sauna and
Fitness Expo, Shanghai
Sept 10 SPASA Qld Golf Day
Sept 12 SPASA Vic Trade Day
Sept 13 SPASA Vic Gala Dinner and Awards Night
Sept 25 Bob Stanley Memorial
Golf Day, Camden Valley
Oct 15-17 World Aquatic Health Conference (WAHC),
Colorado Springs
Oct 15-18 Interbad 2008, Stuttgart, Germany
Oct 16-19 Piscina International Pool Show,
Santarem, Portugal
Oct 26-29 World Waterpark Association Symposium
and Trade Show, Las Vegas
Nov 18-21 Piscine 2008, Lyon, France
Nov 18-20 International Pool Spa
Patio Expo (IPSPE), Las Vegas
2009
Feb 1-3 Spatex 2009, Brighton, UK
More details available at www.splashmagazine.com.au.
These dates are subject to change and should be
checked with the relevant organisation. Please send
calendar submissions to chrismaher@intermedia.com.au
FUTURE INDUSTRY DATES TO KEEP IN MIND
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 15
industry news
SPASA in NSW has launched Pool
& Spa Essentials, a high quality colour
publication aimed at converting consumer
interest in pools and spas into sales.
The publication of the magazine was
one of three key changes to SPASA that
Brian Hardiman oversaw before he left
the organisation [for more on this story,
see page 18].
Pool & Spa Essentials is edited by Lisa
Llewellyn, who has been helping SPASA
with its public and media relations for the
past three years. She has previously worked
at BRW, National Constructor magazine
and for PR companies before starting her
own consultancy.
To produce the magazine, she put
together a strong team of specialist writers,
designers and ad sales representatives.
Pool & Spa Essentials is designed to give
readers vital information about pools and
spas whether theyre looking to install
one or need information on maintaining
a pool and/or spa. The magazine is also
a perfect means of showcasing all of the
2008 award winners.
It is sent free to consumers who enquire
to SPASA. However, it has been given
a cover price of $9.95 so the readers
acknowledge the value of the publication.
This is a similar price to the other
consumer publications available through
newsagents.
The rst issue of the magazine contains
interesting editorial features on everything
from choosing the right pool and the latest
spa designs to the best in outdoor living
accessories.
As with the previous SPASA
publication, the magazine also showcases
the 2008 pool and spa award winners.
Essential marketing for pools and spas
NSW SPASA LAUNCHES ITS NEW CONSUMER MAGAZINE
FOCUS is launching Inside Dealer
Services at the SPLASH! expo on
the Gold Coast, July 30 to 31.
Focus Products is known as a leading
provider of pool and spa chemicals,
cleaning accessories, PVC pipes
and ttings but this season Focus
dealers will get access to more
than just products.
Inside Dealer Services offers direct
contact with the retail business support
and technical teams who work hard
to maximise dealers retail growth
and accurate water treatment. Focus
Insiders will receive support in the
form of newsletters, product
information, online training, technical
guides, marketing strategies, POS
materials and legislative updates. Plus
Insiders are integral in the creation and
deployment of new products to market.
Focus will also have information on
their new Relax consumer campaign,
using bright and fun marketing
to encourage simplicity in pool
management.
For more information, visit
Focus at stand 34 at SPLASH!
Inside the
dealer network
NZ fencing regulations under review
THE New Zealand Master Pool Builders
Guild has reviewed the discussion
paper from the Department of Building
and Housing on pool fencing, and has
submitted its comments.
The Fencing of Swimming Pools Act
1987 is a small but important piece of
legislation intended to promote the safety
of young children around swimming
pools and spa pools. Every year in New
Zealand, an average of four children
under six fall into a swimming pool
and drown. Often these tragedies could
have been prevented had the pool been
properly fenced. Since the Act came
into force 20 years ago there has been a
signicant reduction in the number of
drownings.
The discussion document was the rst
of two papers to assist the Department
with the evaluation of the Act. A second
paper is planned for 2009 to seek further
industry views on any proposals developed
from the initial consultation.
Fencing regulations are slightly different
to those in Australia. Although the Pool
Fencing Act of 1987 is still law, many
Territorial Authorities (TAs) are using
the NZS8500:2006, which has been
developed on the basis that TAs will
gradually seek an upgrade to existing
pools over a transitional period. It is
expected that this transitional phase
would be completed within ve years of
the publication of the Standard.
The standard says, Access to the house
from outside the property shall not be
through the pool area.
Where compliance is impossible,
unreasonable or in breach of any other
Act, regulation or bylaw, then a special
exemption or determination may
be sought from the TA or the DBH.
Considerations may include additional
layers of protection incorporating at least
one of the following:
a) Automatic pool covers that comply
with ASTM F1346 91,
b) Alarms complying with ASTM
F2208, with warning signage required
in accordance with Section 5, or
c) Any barrier/fence approved by the
TA or DBH through the special
exemption/determination process.
For a link to the discussion document
go to: http://www.dbh.govt.nz/fospa-
consultation or the News tab at
splashmagazine.com.au.
16 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
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industry news
HARDIMAN MOVES ON
AFTER three
years at the helm
of SPASA NSW,
General Manager
Brian Hardiman
has decided to
move on.
Hardiman
oversaw a difcult
period which
included the ac-
celeration of water
restrictions and other pressures on the
NSW industry.
Over the three years since Hardimans
tenure began, there have been a number
of positive changes in SPASA NSW.
Probably the three most signicant
changes were overseeing the publication
of the new training guide and the
establishment of the Certicate IV course
in conjunction with the MBA; the drawing
up of a new contract with the MBA;
and driving the publication of the new
consumer magazine.
According to Hardiman, the three big
challenges for the new GM will be the es-
tablishment of a Home Warranty scheme
which could, amongst other things,
generate cashow and allow the lowering
of membership fees; nding more suitable
premises; and determining the format and
timing of the new Sydney consumer show.
Hardiman has picked up a prestigious job
heading up the Tourism Industry Council.
BIOGUARD RESTRUCTURING
BIOGUARD
has announced
a revamped busi-
ness structure
in Australia and
New Zealand is
aimed at con-
tinuing growth
and developing
the BioGuard and
Poolside networks.
As commercial
director, Lindsay McGrath will head up
the new team, and will use knowledge
gained from previous senior roles at
BioGuard to focus on delivering
results for retailers.
This includes employing a new
National Sales Manager, Gregory Wood.
Wood provides a fresh approach and
a wealth of knowledge for BioGuards
retail network after years of international
business experience. He will be in the
eld for a minimum of two days per
week, delivering ongoing training and
development to the sales team and
nurturing retailer relationships.
Another new appointment is Julian
Quinn, who steps into the newly created
role of Retail Development Leader,
Australia and New Zealand.
Quinn has been with BioGuard for
more than ve years. He will supply
quality training and develop promotions
and educational programs for eld staff,
with the aim of continually improving
value to the retail network and identifying
new business opportunities.
Additionally, Bill Manseld will move
into the newly appointed role of Technical
Sales Support Representative, where
he will continue to increase BioGuards
support and commitment in providing
technical education and training.
NEW ORGANISER FOR
SYDNEY CONSUMER SHOW?
Noel Gray of Australasian Exhibitions
and Events is being considered for the
position of organiser for the Sydney
consumer trade show. Gray is the
organiser of the successful Melbourne
summer and winter events. The position
has become vacant after the resignation
of Geoff Holland, who had organised the
Sydney event for the past ve years.
SWIMART APPOINTS NEW FDM
SWIMART
has appointed
Peter Allen as its
NSW Franchise
Development
Manager. Allen
has extensive
experience in
the franchise
industry, as both a
franchisor and as
a franchisee, affording him the ability to
identify and understand challenges
faced by franchisees in todays market,
how to address them and also what
type of support franchisees require
from the franchisor.
Before joining Swimart, Allen was the
Franchise Development Consultant to the
Health Information Pharmacy group, and
prior to that, the NSW State Franchise
manager for the Blockbuster group.
Allen says his responsibilities are to
work with existing franchise owners
to develop their businesses and also
to identify and develop new market
territories for Swimart.
SUNLOVER MAKES NEW
APPOINTMENTS
GRANVILLE Harris has been
appointed Sunlover Heatings NSW
Manager. Harris has a wealth of pool
industry knowledge and a unique
understanding of clients requirements
and needs. He entered the pool industry
in the early 1970s with an architectural
background and has held senior sales
and management positions, including
operating a sales training consultancy.
Also, Richard Duncan has been
appointed Business Development and
Account Manager in the Victorian ofce.
His customer service career developed in
the transport and logistics industry, where
on-time cost-effective delivery of product
is critical to all customers.
Sunlover is also launching a range of
product brochures, a comprehensive
catalogue covering the companys new
lines and a web site featuring a special
trade only section for online orders.
The brochures and website are reference
materials to help trade customers sell
Sunlover products to their retail clients,
and the trade only catalogue provides
the technical detail to answer retail
sales enquiries.
GENN TASKER LEAVES
SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
SWIMMING Australia CEO, Glenn
Tasker, has moved on, taking up a new
role in Sydney at Tennis NSW. During
his six year tenure, he oversaw a change
from Australian Swimming Incorporated
to Swimming Australia Ltd.
Industry moves
Lindsay
McGrath
18 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
industry news
GORDON Brock of Leisure
Pools Coffs Harbour has be-
come a minor celebrity in the
district after rescuing a woman
trapped in a car.
But in the typical Australian,
uneffacing way, he says its
ridiculous to call him a hero.
The real heroes are the
people from the SES and Fire
Brigade, Brock says. People
who do this sort of thing every
day and risk having their lives
changed every day. For an
ordinary person like me, this
sort of thing only happens once
in a lifetime.
The incident occurred in
early June when about 200mm
of rain fell within half an
hour. After checking on the
condition of the site where he
is installing his own pool, he
remembered his horses, and
went to check on them. Thats
when he saw the bobbing
headlights of a car washed into
nearby Newee Creek.
It was a Commodore station
wagon, two-thirds submerged
and trapped against the fence
by a torrent of water, he says.
The water was so high that
one tyre was sitting on the top
of a fence post.
Brock ran onto the road to
stop the trafc coming down
the hill into the ooded creek.
That was when he got the
shock of his life. He saw an
arm come out of the drivers
window and heard a womans
voice call: Im in the car!
He dashed straight into the
ooded creek. The car was
now tilting so much the drivers
side had come right out of
the water. He convinced the
woman, Robyn Fletcher, to
climb out the window and
onto his back. Calmly, she
followed his advice. But she
had a carry bag with her, and
as it hit the creek it lled up
with water, dragging them
along with the torrent and
sending Brock under the water.
Then I started to panic,
he says. I knew there was a
barbed wire fence there, and
a sunken tree, and if I got
washed away in my Drizabone
and boots, we wouldnt be
found till morning.
Then something came
over me maybe it was the
adrenaline kicking in. I spotted
a mudguard and used it to pull
myself around till I eventually
got to the back of the car where
the water wasnt so forceful.
Then I managed to jump up
and get a breath of air, and
push her onto land.
While Brocks wife and
daughter looked after Fletcher,
the police arrived.
They thought the trouble
was a couple of kilometres
further up the road, and they
just drove straight into the
creek. All you could see of the
police 4WD was the lights
ashing on top. But they
managed to back out and stop
the trafc.
Brock credits the good
outcome with a few instances
of chance the fact he had
gone out to check his horses
for one and also the calmness
and maturity Fletcher
displayed during her ordeal.
He was initially reluctant
for SPLASH! to run this story,
as he didnt want to big-
note himself, but eventually
consented when told it was an
opportunity to tell a positive
story about a member of the
pool industry. And we all know
we could do with some more
of them. And as much as hed
hate SPLASH! to mention it,
hes not the only Brock to be
praised recently. A few days
after the incident, he travelled
down to Sydney to see his son
presented with a bravery award
for running into a burning
building to save the occupants.
It seems his style of ordinary
Australian heroism runs in
the family.
Pool man to the rescue
CPSC Series
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Fax: +61 (0)7 5596 1951
Email: sales@compupool.com.au
High Performance
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N LCD digital display
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N High and low salt fault lights
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N Fully weather protected
N Winter mode for cold
water operation
N SuperChlor mode for
boosting chlorine levels
during peak times
N Touch pad controls that
provide easy setting
N Fully automatic operation
even when the owner
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N Easy installation to new
and existing pools
N Reliable and durable for
long lasting performance
N Digital time clock with
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N Cell has push on water
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CPSC08 10, 000
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CPSC24 80, 000
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Powerful Features
20 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
ITS bad enough to dig a
pool without a license or
experience, but one man in
Tasmania went a step further
down the path of irresponsi-
bility. He stole two mini-ex-
cavators to do the job.
His estranged wife, with
whom he had an acrimoni-
ous split, insisted he create a
decent backyard for their ve
children.
Ian Reid rst stole one
excavator, but when it turned
out to be too small, he went
back and stole a second one.
He had previously stolen
two ride-on lawnmowers,
and given his earlier poor
record, which included serv-
ing six-months for stealing a
caravan, he was sentenced to
18 months jail.
The judge said at sentenc-
ing that the thefts would
have caused much disrup-
tion for the self-employed
owner of the excavators and
that a signicant penalty
was needed as a deterrent.
Reid must serve a non-parole
period of 15 months.
Digging his wifes
pool lands man in jail
BIOGUARD has reported
that an increasing number of
pool owners are neglecting
their backyard pools during
winter with detrimental ef-
fects on the environment.
BioGuards Technical
Sales Support Ofcer, Laura
Coveney, says that after last
winter they saw a 25 per cent
increase in the number of
calls seeking assistance with
green pools in comparison to
the previous year.
Coveney says that many
pool owners neglect their
pools with good intentions,
thinking theyre saving water,
energy and reducing their
overall chemical use but in
fact the opposite is true.
Getting the pool ready for
summer after a winter of ne-
glect can lead to a signicant
waste of water, chemicals and
energy, she says.
It also costs more money,
and other drawbacks include
algae growth, surface stain-
ing, equipment damage and
chlorinator cell failure. Water
waste results from the need
to extensively backwash the
pool and in some cases, the
draining and relling of the
pool after winter.
Coveney says for an average
pool this could waste up to
500L per extra backwash, and
relling the pool may waste
up to 40,000L.
At a time when water re-
sources are a major concern,
we strongly advise owners to
take care of their pool over
winter. Maintaining a 12
month water management
program is vital to maintain-
ing a pools health and is
the key for using less water,
energy and chemicals.
BioGuard also reported an
increase in the use of chlo-
rine caused by winter neglect,
as accumulated substances
reduce the effectiveness of
residual chlorine resulting in
more chlorine being added to
restore the health of the pool
for summer use.
One of the key benets of
managing pool water over
winter is that the water re-
quires less chemical additions
and fewer hours of ltration,
which means that the pool
owner will save water, energy
and money, she says.
Warning about green pools
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 21
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environment update
Environmental update
Ban water bans, says commission
T
he Productivity Commission has
released a report which says that State
governments should stop restricting
specic water uses, and instead use market
forces to restrict water consumption.
In fact, the commissions Urban Water
Reform Report says that restricting specic
uses (such as lling pools) costs households
$150 per year more than if the overall price
of water had been raised.
It also says the total cost of these
restrictions across Australia could reach
into the billions of dollars.
The report states:
The aggregate cost to Australian urban
households of the water restrictions can be
approximated by taking costs for particular
cities and applying them to the entire urban
population subject to restrictions. If the
estimate of $150 per household for the extra
cost of using water restrictions rather than
price increases to ration water use in Sydney
in 2005 is applied to the approximately 80 per
cent of Australias households then subject
to restrictions, the corresponding estimate
of the national cost is around $900 million.
Given the likelihood that costs excluded from
the Sydney estimate (for example, the costs
of rearranging gardens and installing
watering systems that are allowed under
the restrictions, the costs including
reduced leisure and/or sleep of time spent
watering gardens in permitted labour-in-
tensive ways, the deterioration in gardens
and lawns) dominate the costs included in
the estimate, the annual cost of the water
restrictions to Australian households is
probably a multi-billion dollar gure
under recent high-level restrictions.
Water restrictions impact on people
beyond their homes. They experience loss of
amenity from unwatered council parks or
they pay through their rates for high-cost
recycled water to keep them green.
Community sporting facilities have been
adversely affected. For example, some
football and cricket competitions have been
cancelled or their start delayed because of
the state of water-deprived sports grounds.
Households and businesses in urban
centres are affected also in less obvious
ways by the water restrictions. For example,
water restrictions have resulted in reductions
in output from water-dependent, coal-red
electricity generators. This has exacerbated
the reductions in hydro-generation output due
to water shortages. These inuences have led
to higher wholesale electricity prices.
To view the report, go to the News tab at
www.splashmagazine.com.au.
Meanwhile, Cairns City councillor Paul Gre-
gory claims it is overkill to bring in one-size-
ts-all requirements regarding water regula-
tion, which means many people in Cairns will
be installing rainwater tanks despite the high
rainfall and full dams in the area.
As chair of the councils Water and Waste
Committee, he says the committee supports
wise water use, but some of the members
were concerned that if tanks are not
properly maintained or installed there may
be increased health risks such as dengue
fever. Climate change models predict that
these type of tropical diseases are likely
to head further south, he says.
The foundation
of water saving
H20 Hive Holdings has come up with an
idea by which every house with a slab could
save and store water automatically.
The company has been awarded a $64,000
Commercialising Emerging Technologies
(COMET) grant to help market its novel
rainwater storage system. It was one of 40
companies across Australia sharing in $23.6
million of funding from the most recent round
of Commercial Ready and COMET grants.
The H20 project is developing a system
in which water storage can be built into the
foundations of any concrete slab based struc-
ture such as a house, patio, driveway or shed.
Each H20 Hive cell is constructed of ve
160mm PVC pipes encased in expanded
polystyrene. The cells are placed in position,
connected, reinforced and then covered in
concrete to complete the foundation,
says Senator Carr, Minister for Innovation,
Industry, Science and Research.
The system is connected to a buildings
downpipes and channels the rainwater
off the roof storing on average
12,500 litres per home.
For more information on H20 Hive Hold-
ings, call Matthew Woods on 1300 658 393.
Wong conrms
water funding
Penny Wong, the Minister for Climate
Change and Water, conrmed Labors
election commitments to national water
supply management at the most recent
Annual Australian Water Summit.
She outlined the Water for the Future
program which will allocate nearly $13 billion
over 10 years to address the key national
challenges posed by current and potential
water shortages. Her four priorities are:
taking action on climate change, using water
wisely, securing water supplies and
supporting healthy rivers.
Three key commitments include
$1 billion for the National Urban Water
and Desalination Plan (for centres with popu-
lations greater than 50,000); $250 million for
the National Water Security Plan for Cities
and Towns (for centres with populations less
than 50, 000); and $250 million for the
National Rainwater and Greywater Initiative.
Now we like recycled water
Community attitudes towards recycled
water are changing, according to a new
University of Melbourne report commissioned
by the Cooperative Research Centre for
Water Quality and Treatment.
Respondents to the Adelaide study showed
an increase in the acceptance of Class A+
recycled water for drinking, up to 58% from
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 23
environment update
4%, while the majority (94%) were satised
with overall recycled water use at Mawson
Lakes, up from 88% in 2005.
Other key ndings of the study include:
An increase in the acceptance of Class A+
recycled water for clothes washing (up to
74% from 23% two years ago);
A signicant decrease in the perception of
risk associated with recycled water for all
uses, from car washing and garden
watering to showering and drinking;
A signicant increase in the perceived
value of what recycled water should cost,
from A$0.46 in 2004 to A$0.89 in 2007.
Dr Anna Hurlimann says the research is
important given the increasing pressure on
water resources experienced in many areas
of the world.
Policy makers are increasingly turning to
other water alternatives such as desalination,
often assuming that the public will not be will-
ing to use recycled water. Such assumptions
are often not based on evidence, she says.
A copy of the report is available at the
News tab of www.splashmagazine.com.au.
European rain eases
drought for now
And just to remind us that its not only
Australia that is suffering from drought,
Barcelona had been shipping water in from
France and neighbouring districts. With water
storage dropping to 20 per cent, they had
tankers bring water in until rains recently
eased the situation.
The Catalonia Environment Department is
now building a desalination plant and pipe-
lines to bring water from the Ebro River.
Even London is considering desalination
now that its once notorious and omnipresent
rainfall is declining. A 300 million reverse
osmosis plant is being built to turn the
murky waters of the Thames in crystal
clear drinking water.
Council waters with
backwash
Three water tanks are now collecting
backwash water from a Victorian pool for
use on watering nearby sporting grounds.
The Yarra Ranges council received
$240,000 in Victorian Government funding to
build the pool backwash facility at its Yarra
Junction pool, with $200,000 coming from
Regional Development Victoria and $40,000
from Sport and Recreation Victoria.
This will enable the water to be treated so
it can be used for watering purposes.
Combined capacity of the tanks is 66KL.
Similar works have been established at
Kilsyth Centenary Pool, where a 125KL
tank has been installed, and also a 90KL
tank at Lilydale Swimming Pool.
Literally heating
a pool by computer
Computer data centres generate a lot of heat
energy, which has to be dispersed. Swimming
pools needs heat to make them more
enjoyable. So those clever Swiss have
come up with a symbiotic solution: heat
the pool with the computer.
The hot air expelled by the servers and
communications equipment at a large
IBM-built computer centre near Zurich
is being redirected next door to warm the
local swimming pool.
The hot air from data centres is normally
wasted, while the machines themselves
are blasted with cold air to keep them at
optimum operating temperatures of around
21-degrees Celsius.
On this project, waste heat will ow
through heat exchangers to warm water
that will be pumped into the nearby pool.
The local government authority paid for
some of the infrastructure, but will
garner the heat for the pool for free.
The data centre, built in a former military
bunker in Uitikon, will generate 2.8GW of
energy once it is operating at full capacity.
IBM claims this will enable re-using up to
90 percent of the energy generated for the
operation of the data centre, saving approxi-
mately 120 tonnes of carbon emissions.
IBM believes this type of system can
be rolled out internationally.
Davey wins
sustainability award
Davey Water Products has won the
Large Business Award in the 2008 Premiers
Sustainability Awards. Davey spokesman
Max Ekins said that the Award owed from
a company-wide approach which has created
a house of quality concept incorporating
all three aspects of the triple bottom line
People, Planet and Prot.
Ekins said that some of the key achieve-
ments over the eight months that the project
has been in train include reducing and
recycling all grades of waste to reduce
landll from 350 cubic metres to 65 cubic
metres per month; and installing a system
harvesting more than one million litres of
rainwater per year from the building roof,
and using it to ush all the building toilets
as well as supplying rinse water for the
powder coating pre-treatment line.
Daveys sustainability concept has also
extended to their products including the
Celsior and Silensor water-cooled pump
motors for swimming pool and spa bath
pumps; and the Davey RainBank automatic
rainwater harvesting controller.
Water coming by sea
the Sichem Defender
The Swiss computer centre will generate 2.8GW of energy
Victorian Premier John Brumby presenting the
Award to Max Ekins from Davey Water Products
24 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
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34
safety update
Dont be scared
of resuscitation
A study has found that parents are wrongly
afraid of doing CPR on their kids
A
study recently published in the Medical
Journal of Australia found that some
parents were reluctant to perform
resuscitation, fearing they could do it wrong
and make the situation worse.
However, Sydney University Associate Pro-
fessor Gary Browne has come out to encour-
age parents to overcome their fear and try to
resuscitate children who have nearly drowned
in backyard swimming accidents.
With an attitude of even done badly, its bet-
ter than nothing, Browne says that incorrectly
done resuscitation is unlikely to do any harm,
and may in fact save a childs life.
The study looked at eight children who
drowned or nearly drowned in Sydney in Janu-
ary last year. Browne says half the children
had immediate resuscitation and survived, but
there were signicant delays in resuscitation
of the other four children who died.
Browne says the study shows any life sup-
port is better than no life support, saying that
children who had been waiting ten or twenty
minutes for emergency services without any
sort of basic life support were the ones who
didnt survive. Meanwhile, a 14-month old boy
has been revived after nearly drowning in an
indoor spa at Holsworthy in Sydneys west. He
had been under the water for several minutes
before he was found not breathing by a family
member. The parents started CPR immedi-
ately, and after approximately one minute he
started breathing again.
The fact that family members started
resuscitation made all the difference, a Care-
Flight spokesperson said.
More potty skimmer repairs
Consumer Affairs in the Northern Territory
has sent SPLASH! some information on a
potty skimmer repair that an NT builder car-
ried out recently. One of the potty skimmer
evisceration incidents which occurred earlier
in the year was in the Territory.
The images (top left) show the completed
work, using breglass to create a lid. The
builder left some simple notes on the job:
Rectication work to potty seat skimmer
boxes entails xing a permanent breglass lid
to the skimmer box. The breglass lid is then
glued down with breglass and a weir ap is
placed at the front of the skimmer box.
The cost is believed to be around $300.
The builder also pointed out there should
be two suction points, so if one is blocked, the
suction will divert to the secondary suction
point.
The other potty skimmer incident earlier
this year involved a 3yr-old boy, Julian from
Wellington, NSW.
The local support of the Wellington and
Dubbo community was a great strength to the
family, and fundraising efforts have already
garnered $25,000 to help with Julians medical
expenses and care.
Another event is being organised for the
Sunday 20th July a 45km walk from Dubbo
to Wellington symbolising taking baby steps
forward with courage, patience and inner
strength. For more information go to the
News tab of www.splashmagazine.com.au.
Safety strategy released
The recent 2008 Australian Water Safety Con-
ference at Darling Harbour Sydney was her-
alded a success by a range of Australian and
International water safety experts who were
eager to contribute and collaborate to the draft
Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011.
The AWSC has identied three key drivers
which will form the basis of the strategy to
reduce drowning deaths by 50% by 2020. We
must take a life stage perspective, target high
risk locations and meet several signicant
drowning challenges such as those faced by
the indigenous or culturally and linguistically
diverse communities in Australia, says Rob
Bradley, convenor of the council.
The Australian Water Safety Council have
set an ambitious target to reduce drown-
ing deaths in Australia by 50% by 2020, the
necessary approach was detailed in the draft
Australian Water Safety Strategy 2008-2011.
After an encouraging 20% decrease in
drowning deaths between 2000-04, a number
of disturbing upwards trends have emerged
recently, in particular in the under ves group.
To hear from parents who had either lost a
child to drowning or continued to care for a
child who suffers serious medical conditions
due to a near drowning, puts a face to the
sometimes cold statistics.
The International keynote speaker Dr
Michael Linnan, Technical Director, The Al-
liance for Safe Children spoke of the hor-
rendous plight suffered by many of our Asian
neighbours, due to an obvious lack of exper-
The potty skimmer
repaired with breglass
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 27
safety update
tise and resources in the area of water safety
that are often taken for granted here
in Australia.
It is essential that we make available
whatever is necessary to help these
countries, he says. The Australian Water
Safety Council member organisations are
Austswim, Royal Life Saving Society Aus-
tralia, Surf Life Saving Australia, Swimming
Australia, Standing Committee on
Recreation and Sport, Farmsafe Australia,
Kidsafe Australia, Australian National
Sportshing Association, Aquatic and
Recreation Institute, Surng Australia,
Australia and New Zealand Safe Boating
Education Group, Australian Local Govern-
ment Association, and the Australian Swim-
ming Teachers and Coaches Association.
For a link to the full presentations given
at the 2008 Australian Water Safety
Conference go to the News tab at
www.splashmagazine.com.au.
Alarm manufacturer says
supervision not enough
Drowning death numbers in Canada have
plummeted from eight per 100,000 at the
end of the second world war, to less than a
quarter of that now, at 1.4 per 100,000.
However, while Canadian drowning
numbers in total have dropped, the
under-two category has risen in recent years.
Canada, like Australia, places great
emphasis on supervision.
Children have to be supervised they
have to be watched, said Gillian Baker of the
Canadian Red Cross in a recent article in the
Ottawa Citizen. It takes just seconds for the
unthinkable to happen. Let the phone ring, let
the doorbell go, or take the child with you.
However, Bob Lyons, president of Canadian
alarm manufacturer, Terrapin (developer of
the Safety Turtle) has an alternate view,
believing that the emphasis being placed
solely on supervision is misguided and is in
fact a contributing factor in the issue of
drowning-related deaths and injuries.
Im a little frustrated, Lyons says.
Some of these messages were ultimately
counterproductive, because they would extol
people to watch their kids, which is ne, it
probably saves some kids but it suggests the
solution is just to watch your kids more closely
and its anything but. Weve been trying that
solution for years and years.
People arent perfect, they never will be
perfect. Its a theoretical solution that weve
reached diminishing returns on. People are
doing their best, but the tragedies continue
to occur each year.
Drowning is right up there as a problem
thats not going away, although its evolved,
he says.
Lyon has a product to sell, but he is not
advocating replacing supervision with alarms,
merely complementing supervision with other
safety measures. He believes the new mes-
sage should be: Supervision can and does fail.
To focus solely on supervision is to over-
simplify the issue and could create a false
sense of security, he says.
The mentality now is to blame drownings
on lack of supervision. People take a position
of superiority and dont feel vulnerable.
They feel theyre not part of that group,
but they are what they dont realise is
how insidious this problem is.
Rob Bradley, Michael Linnan
and Noeline Brown
The Water Safety
Conference participants
28 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au
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industry news
SPASA NSW Awards
The Awards for the NSW pool and spa industry were recently
handed out at a gala dinner at Rosehill Racecourse
The NSW State
Award Winners are:
Cat 1: Residential Concrete
Pools Traditional or
Geometric up to $50,000
Gold: A1 Pools & Spas Pty Ltd
Silver: Architectural Pools
Cat 1a: Residential Concrete
Pools Traditional or
Geometric $50,000 to $100,000
Gold: Sunrise Pools
Silver: Liquid Pool Design
Cat 1b: Residential Concrete
Pools Traditional or
Geometric over $100,000
Gold: Mediterranean
Pools & Spas
Silver: Sunrise Pools
Cat 2: Residential Concrete
Pools Freeform or
Natural up to $50,000
Gold: Aurora
Landscaping & Pools
Category 1a Gold
winner, Sunrise Pools
Category 1b Gold
winner, Mediterranean
Pools and Spas
Category 1 Gold winner,
A1 Pools and Spas
Category 2 Gold winner, Aurora
Landscaping and Pools
Category 2a
Gold winner, Discovery
Landscaping and Pools
www.splashmagazine.com.au SPLASH! | 31
Cat 2a: Residential Concrete
Pools Freeform or
Natural $50,000 to $100,000
Gold: Discovery
Landscaping & Pools
Cat 3: Residential Fibreglass
Pools up to $30,000
Gold: Narellan Pools Riverina
Cat 3a: Residential Fibreglass
Pools over $30,000
Gold: Local Pools & Spas
Silver: Narellan Pools Central
West & Blue Mountains
Cat 8: Spas and Hot Tubs
Gold: Sunrise Pools
Silver: Mediterranean
Pools & Spas
Cat 10: Commercial Pools
or Spas below $250,000
Gold: Architectural Pools
Cat 10a: Commercial Pools
or Spas over $250,000
Gold: Mediterranean
Pools & Spas
Cat 11a: Renovations
Over $20,000
Gold: Smart Pools & Renovations
Silver: Polar Pools
Cat 12: Innovative
Gold: Bazley Pools & Spas
Cat 13: Water Features
Gold: Sunrise Pools
Silver: Polar Pools
Cat 14: Lap Pools
Gold: Mediterranean
Pools & Spas
Silver: Architectural Pools
Most innovative product
Watercos MultiCyclone
industry news
Category 8 Gold winner, Sunrise Pools Category 3 Gold winner, Narellan Riverina
Category 3a Gold winner,
Local Pools and Spas
Category 10a Gold winner,
Mediterranean Pools and Spas
Category 10 Gold winner,
Architectural Pools
Category 13 Gold winner,
Sunrise Pools
Category 12 Gold winner,
Aquastone
Category 11a Gold
winner, Smart Pools
and Renovations
Category 14 Gold winner, Mediterranean
Pools and Spas
32 | SPLASH! www.splashmagazine.com.au