UNFENCED lakes on new estates in Casey pose a serious drowning threat to young children and inexperienced swimmers, worried families say.

They say the man-made lakes, often several metres deep, should be fenced to similar standards required by backyard swimming pools.

>>Should lakes in new housing estates be fenced? Tell us in the comment box below, post on the Leader’s Facebook page or send us a Tweet.

Wendy Kearns told Leader she had lost a family member to drowning and had a terrible fright when she saw her great-grandson near one of the lakes adjacent to Marriott Waters shopping centre, on Thompsons Rd, Lyndhurst.

“He was fascinated by the water and heading for it when I intervened,” Ms Kearns said.

“It brought back all the horrors I felt when I lost somebody in a water tragedy years ago. I would hate anybody else to have to go through something like that. It wrecked the fabric of our family.

“These things are springing up all over Casey. I think they should be fenced before there’s a tragedy.”

media_camera Hunt Club in Cranbourne.

Emma Horbury said she was worried about the risks presented by lakes near her home in Reynard Place, Cranbourne East.

“We have several near us. And there are others on new estates in Clyde, all the way up to Berwick,” Ms Horbury said.

“I think they present a serious drowning risk and I certainly wouldn’t let any of my children near them unsupervised.

“I’m just glad they’re a reasonable distance from where we live.”

Spokesman for supervising authority Melbourne Water, Nic McGay, said the lakes were an essential part of stormwater management.

“We work with developers to ensure new developments contain features such as wetlands to ensure water, including stormwater, is managed and treated before it flows into rivers and creeks,” Mr McGay said.

media_camera The Chase in Berwick.

“Fencing areas of this size would be impractical. People should approach these lakes as they would any large expanse of water.”

He said the alternative of building more drainage pipes would simply dump all poor quality suburban run-off water into Port Phillip Bay.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy said he fully supported regulations on swimming pool fences, but not the lakes.

“It is not reasonable to fence off every lake, river and beach,” Mr Guy said.

Casey Council manager of parks and reserves Trevor Griffin said the city accepted Melbourne Water was the responsible authority for the majority of wetlands in new housing estates.

A spokesman for the Victorian Building Authority said its regulations covered swimming pools but did not extend to lakes, whether for stormwater management or decorative appeal.