General News
2 November, 2023
Pool safety front of mind heading into warm weather
Warmer weather is on the way and with it a safety message to Victorians to ensure their pool or spa is safely fenced off. Over the last two decades, 20 children have drowned in cases due to a non-compliant safety barrier. Pools and spas must be...
Warmer weather is on the way and with it a safety message to Victorians to ensure their pool or spa is safely fenced off.
Over the last two decades, 20 children have drowned in cases due to a non-compliant safety barrier. Pools and spas must be checked and certified by a registered inspector or surveyor every four years and must include self-latching and self-closing pool gates, and not be directly accessible via a building.
All pools and spas capable of holding more than 300 millimetres of water must have compliant barriers to restrict unsupervised access by young children.
“Don’t let just anyone be responsible for the safety of your family,” Victorian Building Authority regulatory operations executive director David Brockman said.
“Just one drowning death is too many; in Victoria, the design, construction and installation of new swimming pools, spas and safety barriers are subject to strict safety requirements.
“These include that construction only be done by a builder registered in an appropriate category or class.
“If you’re looking at installing a pool, you will need a building permit before works commence. You may also need a planning permit or other permit.”
As of November 2020, all pools and spas must be registered with your local council.