In a
bid to reduce the incidence of drowning among small children, new laws to
improve swimming pool and spa safety have come into effect across Victoria.
It is
now mandatory for owners of land where a swimming pool or spa is located, to
register their pool or spa with local council.
Small
inflatable wading pools that do not require any assembly do not have to be
registered.
While
the new regulation has come into effect this month, owners have until 1 June
2020 to register their pool or spa with council, providing them with plenty of
time to bring their pool or spa and their safety barriers into compliance.
Once
registered, owners are also required to have a building surveyor or building
inspector certify, every four years, that their safety barrier is compliant.
The
state government introduced this new compliance regime after numerous coronial
investigations found that un-maintained and non-compliant pool barriers had
contributed to the deaths of children in backyard pools.
27
young children have drowned in home swimming pools and spas in Victoria since
2000, in most cases the coroner found the safety barriers were non-compliant
and likely to have played a role in their deaths.
This
state introduced regulation has been introduced to reduce the chance of further
tragedies occurring.
The
fee for lodging a ‘certificate of barrier compliance’ with council is $20.44.
Residents can refer to the Victorian Building Authority or council websites for
all applicable fees and charges.
