PRIVATE pool and spa owners on the Mornington Peninsula now have until 1 November to register them with council.
The five-month extension from the original 1 June deadline has been granted because of the impacts of coronavirus on families and council staff workloads.
The safety measures are being introduced to reduce the number of drownings of children under five. Over the past 20 years 27 youngsters have drowned in private pools and spas in Victoria. The coroner reportedly found that, in at least 20 of these cases, a non-compliant safety barrier was likely to have played a role in their deaths.
The government introduced the regulations in December.
Owners are required to register their pools and spas with the council for a one-off fee of up to $79 (“Pool register date looms” The News 19/5/20). Failure to register by the due date can result in a $340 on-the-spot fine.
Once registered, the council will inform the pool owner of the date by which they must organise their first inspection and certification of suitable safety barriers. The deadline for owners to lodge their first barrier certification has also been extended.
The cost of having a registered building surveyor or inspector certify the continuing compliance of their safety barrier every four years is about $300-$395, with the cost of rectifying faults depending on what has to be done.
Details: vba.vic.gov.au
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 9 June 2020
