It Shouldn’t Take a Child’s Death to Fix Our Industry — But Here We Are

Episode Summary

This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee (Australia) and Shane (New Zealand) jump in—literally and figuratively—with a conversation that starts with cold weather swims and ends with one of the biggest training breakthroughs for the pool industry across Oceania.

What was supposed to be a short topic grew into a full deep-dive on safety, qualifications, licensing, training pathways, industry standards, and why professionalizing pool service matters more now than ever.

Lee and Shane open with some updates from home: unseasonably cold weather, chilly swims, and Lee’s grandson discovering his natural frog-leg breaststroke in the bathtub. The laughter fades into a sobering discussion about water safety after the tragic drowning of an eight-year-old autistic boy in Victoria—highlighting the importance of early swimming lessons, supervision, and community awareness as summer approaches in Australia.

From there, the episode shifts to major industry news: New Zealand now has a recognized Cert III qualification in swimming pool and spa building. This is a huge step forward in lifting professionalism across the region.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 11:29 Discussion Continues
• 22:58 Deep Dive