LAKE Macquarie is among those cities in the Hunter that have failed a staggering number of backyard pool-safety compliance checks. Figures collected by the Newcastle Herald across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens showed that more than half the registered pools had failed initial safety audits. Of the 230 registered backyard pools in Lake Macquarie, 152 failed the first inspection. There are 17,000 pools in the city. Under new state laws, pools should be registered by April 29. Go to swimmingpoolregister.nsw.gov.au.