11 June 2004

Tardy Retraction

Press Release POAG (Pool Owners Action Group) Spokesperson Gary Osborne

In my last press release I mentioned a highly inaccurate advertisement placed by Waitakere City Council in the Aucklander on Wednesday 2nd June in relation to swimming pool drownings. The reaction from the Aucklander is that the responsibility for the inaccuracy of the advertisement lies with Waitakere City Council. Waitakere City Council says they have relied on information provided by the Water Safety Council and Denis Sheard, Legal services Manager for Waitakere City Council said I should take the matter up with the Water Safety Council.

I rang Alan Muir, executive director of Water Safety New Zealand and he said the logo on the advertisement was for WaterSafe Auckland so I took the matter up with Teresa Stanley of WaterSafe Auckland who said they had relied on statistics provided by Water Safety New Zealand but had forwarded on some information to Waitakere City Council.

I asked for a copy of the information from which Waitakere City Council had deduced their inaccurate figure. I was told the person responsible was not allowed to speak to me and I was to speak to Denis Sheard who would be away for the next week.

I sent an email to Brigid McDonald, solicitor acting for Waitakere City Council in Denis Sheard's absence, asking the person responsible for the advertisement to make a public retraction. I rang Brigid today and was told she will be away for a few days so can't handle the matter.

Confused??? Become a pool owner in Waitakere City and you will find this is par for the course!!!

ENDS

© Scoop Media