PARENTS who want to take photos of their children at public swimming pools in Darwin are now required to gain council approval days in advance as part of a new policy.

Darwin Council community and cultural services manager Anna Malgorzewicz said the regulations had been put in place to prevent people from taking photos of children at Nightcliff, Casuarina and Parap pools and Shoal Bay tip.

Ms Malgorzewicz said Darwin Council’s photography policy was “merely protocol” and applied to everyone, including parents who want to take pictures of their own children.

“It is about individual privacy because there are children participating in swim classes et cetera,” she said.

“If there is permission from the outset and council also have prior advice then there is no issue providing everyone has advanced notice and everyone has provided their notice.

“You don’t want someone (unauthorised) in there taking photographs of individuals.”

Ms Malgorzewicz would not specify the risks, as identified by the council, associated with parents photographing their own children at pools. “It’s what happens to that image if shared publicly,” she said.

Ms Malgorzewicz said the council required more than one day’s notice to authorise a person to take photos of any child – including their own – on site.

Darwin Council spokesman Mark Blackburn said the managers (contractors Dempsey) of the pool also enforced a policy which “prohibits anybody to take photos within the pool complex itself without prior authorisation”.

“That was put in place about 12 months ago,” Mr Blackburn said.

“If parents want to take photos of their kids I don’t believe they actually allow it.”

Pool user Daniel Kiag, 44, said he was shocked to learn children were not allowed to be spontaneously photographed splashing in the water by their own parents or guardians.

“I don’t think we’re protecting children any more … Everything has become about liability and money and being sued,” Mr Kiag said. “I think the innocence of being a child is no longer a part of our culture.

“We’re worrying about the cause and effects from a monetary point of view rather than having a life experience as a child growing up.

“We’re putting too much emphasis on (bureaucracy) rather than just a beautiful (image of) children having fun in a swimming pool.”