In an effort to stop people, particularly children, drowning or being injured in backyard pools and spas, the Victorian Government introduced new laws on 1 December 2019 requiring pools and spas to be registered with Council. A new safety barrier compliance program was also introduced to ensure safety standards are being met.
Murrindindi Shire Council Infrastructure Portfolio Councillor Eric Lording said although pool and spa safety is not foremost in people’s minds during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s an important issue.
‘On average, four young children die in Victoria in home swimming pools or spas each year, and many more are taken to hospital for near-drownings. With families spending more time at home, our aim is to avoid tragic accidents that can happen when safety barriers are non-compliant.
‘There are three types of barrier compliance certification. The year your pool was built determines which barrier compliance certification applies to your property. If you don’t know when your pool was built, Council can help. We can go through our old records – aerial photographs and building permits for example – to see if we can get an approximate timeframe for you. As this requires a fair bit of work at our end, there is a search fee of $47.24 in place.’
‘Once you register your pool or spa with Council, we will help you through the inspection and barrier certification process. Residents have until 1 June 2020 to register their pools and spas. After that time, Council may issue a building infringement penalty notice for unregistered pools and spas. So I encourage local pool and spa owners to be proactive and give us a ring and we can work together to get you compliant.
‘You can register your swimming pool or spa via our online pool registration form at www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/poolregister
