Watch Around Water

Watch Around Water is an industry-wide safety standard that MAC applies as policy to ensure children’s safety in our pools.

Children need supervision at all times when around water. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children under five years of age and almost half of all injuries recorded at public swimming pools involves children. The Watch Around Water program assists staff in promoting safe supervision practices and provide a safe venue for the community to participate in sport and recreation.

MAC's Watch Around Water Program

Please observe and follow the Watch Around Water guidelines when visiting MAC.

Children Under 5 Years Old

Must wear a pink wristband at all times.
A supervising parent/guardian must be in the water and within arm’s reach at all times outside of lessons.
The supervising parent/guardian receives complimentary pool entry when accompanying the child outside of lessons and must also wear a pink wristband. The parent/guardian must be 16 years and over and adhere to all conditions of entry.
Supervision ratio: Groups will not be admitted where the number of parents/guardians supervising a group of children under 5 years exceeds the ratio of 1:2.

During classes:

Children under 5 years old must be actively supervised by their parent/guardian at all times.
Children participating in structured lessons/programs under the supervision of a swim teacher/coach must still wear a wristband.

Children 5-10 years old

Must wear a yellow wristband at all times.
A parent/guardian must be present and actively supervising at all times.
The supervising parent/guardian receives complimentary entry to supervise from the pool deck.
If they wish to enter the water before or after the lesson with the child, they must pay the applicable fee or have a valid MAC membership.
Supervision ratio: Maximum four children aged 5 to 9 years per one guardian. Children under 10 years old will not be admitted without an appropriate parent/guardian.

During classes

The parent/guardian must actively supervise during lessons and is not permitted to use other areas of the Centre, and never leave their child unsupervised.

Children 10 years and older

For children 10 years and older, parents must use their knowledge of the child's swimming ability and overall development to determine the level of accompaniment and supervision required. Parent/guardians are not required to be present in the Centre however MAC encourages children over 10 years old to have a parent/guardian present.

Additional supervision rules

The minimum age for a supervising adult is 16 years old.
A ratio of 1 adult per 4 children under 10 years old
A ratio of 1 adult per 2 children under 5 years old.
When combining age groups, a total ratio of 1 adult per 4 children applies with no more than 2 under 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.