NEW regulations being introduced in December mean backyard pool and spa owners must pay $37 registration fees to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.
The shire says it knows of about 17,000 combined pools and spas on the peninsula – the most of any municipality in Victoria.
Under the state-wide rules, owners must shell out $20 for compliance certificates from qualified surveyors and arrange three-yearly inspections of pool fences and safety barriers.
Fines of up to $330 will be levied if pools are found to not comply. Owners will have 20 days to fix safety issues.
The deadline for registrations is 14 April next year.
The tougher rules come after a recent survey by the Victorian Municipal Building Surveyors’ Group found that up to 90 per cent of pools breached safety rules.
The state coroner also recommended a harder line on pool safety regulations after investigating several drowning cases.
Drowning is the biggest cause of death among young people, with 27 children drowning in private pools and spas over the past 20 years. Many more carry lifelong learning and behavioural impairments.
Planning and building director David Bergin said the shire would be making a submission to the state government about the pool and spa regulations.
“Once regulations are finalised, we will be contacting all peninsula residents to advise of the new pool and spa barrier regulations,” he said.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 6 August 2019
