The Victorian Government has further extended the deadline for homeowners to get their backyard pool and spa safety barriers inspected and certified as compliant due to the difficulty of doing so during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The first certificate lodgement deadline has been extended from November 1, 2021 to June 1, 2022, with subsequent lodgement deadlines also moved back to June 2023 and June 2024 respectively.
City of Greater Bendigo Safe and Healthy Environments Manager Caroline Grylls said the extension acknowledges the extra pressure that coronavirus is placing on families, as well as the challenge of finding building practitioners to inspect and certify safety barriers and fix any identified non-compliance.
“The extended deadlines will help homeowners with pools and spas to lodge certificates of compliance with the City,” Ms Grylls said.
“It also recognises the limited opportunity people have had to organise building inspectors to visit their homes during the pandemic.
“The Victorian Government amended the Building Regulations in December 2019 to introduce new requirements to improve the safety of private swimming pools and spas.
“Under the new mandatory requirements all residential swimming pools and spas that fall within the requirements of the Act must have a compliant barrier in place and must be registered with their local Council. Broadly, these include all permanent pools and spas and most relocatable pools and relocatable spas capable of holding a depth of water greater than 300mm.
“Any home owners who have not yet registered their pool or spa are encouraged to make an application to the City as soon as possible as we don’t want them to face any unnecessary penalties.
“Owners must also have a registered building surveyor or inspector certify the continuing compliance of their safety barrier every four years.
“Compliance is important as drowning is the most common cause of preventable death for young children with most fatal drownings of young children occurring in backyard swimming pools.”
