Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Sunday, July 6
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Shire starts search for pool inspectors
News

Shire starts search for pool inspectors

By Stephen TaylorOctober 5, 2020Updated:October 7, 2020No Comments2 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is recruiting staff to be trained as swimming pool and spa safety inspectors to cope with greater demand under stricter state government safety rules.

On current numbers – and as the November compliance deadline approaches – there are not enough inspectors.

The government introduced new regulations last December to make swimming pools and spas safer and prevent young children from drowning.

Shire municipal building surveyor David Kotsiakos said: “We are currently recruiting suitably qualified staff to ensure we will be able to meet our statutory requirements under the legislation.

“On current numbers, we believe [we] will have insufficient inspectors to cope with the number of inspections required, however the Victorian Building Authority is developing a course specifically for pool safety barriers to increase the number of inspectors in the marketplace.”

The peninsula has a “known” 17,000 pools and spas – reportedly the second most of any municipality in Australia, behind one Sydney suburb.

More than a third of pools are estimated to have been built before June 1994 and these have to be inspected within 12 months.

Pool and spa owners have until Sunday 1 November to register with the council for a one-off fee of $79 or they could cop a $330 infringement notice.

Once registered pool owners will be contacted by the shire and advised how they can organise an inspection of their safety barrier by a registered practitioner and how a compliance certificate can be lodged.

Owners must have a registered building surveyor or inspector certify the continuing compliance of their safety barrier every four years.

Drowning is the most common cause of preventable death for young children and in Victoria most fatal drownings of young children occur in backyard swimming pools.

Over the past 20 years in Victoria, 27 children under five have drowned – mostly in private pools and spas. The state coroner found that in at least 20 of these cases the safety barrier was non-compliant, and that this was likely to have played a role in their deaths.

Due to the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) the deadline for registration was extended by five months from June to acknowledge the extra pressure on families and the increased workload on councils.

First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 6 October 2020

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Advocates celebrate abuse law change

July 3, 2025

Railway station scam

July 1, 2025

Flinders result unaffected by poll blunder – AEC

July 1, 2025

Grand Hotel’s tower revamp signals new chapter for icon

June 26, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Shire secures $3.9m to tackle road safety

June 16, 2025

Kinder flyer flag snub prompts councillors to take over

June 10, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

Baxter – On The ‘Wallaby’ with a walking group

July 1, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.