Wyndham City's commitment to prevent drownings in backyard pools has led to the Werribee Magistrates Court issuing two arrest warrants for property owners who failed to register their swimming pools.
Pool/spa owners are required by State Government legislation to register their pools/spas and have them certified as safe. Every four years the safety certification needs to be renewed by a registered inspector, a process that Local Government Councils manage.
The two Wyndham property owners refused to register their swimming pools in line with State Government legislation that required registration by 1 November 2020.
They ignored multiple Wyndham City requests and reminders to register their pools and failed to comply with a court order issued in February this year.
Wyndham City CEO Stephen Wall said Council is aware of a further six unregistered pools or spas, with prosecution action pending.
"This legislation is about preventing backyard drownings," he said. "Pool and spa barriers are just one of the ways we can work towards reducing the number of drownings."
"It is pleasing to see the Werribee Magistrates Court back Wyndham City's commitment to community safety. Registering pools and having safety barriers inspected and certified prevents drownings and keeps children safe."
"The small percentage of property owners who fail to comply with these requirements will continue to be followed up by Wyndham City and where necessary we will continue to refer matters to our lawyers for prosecution."
There are currently 3,877 registered pools and spas in Wyndham and 90 per cent of these have safety barriers that have been inspected and certified as compliant. The remaining 10 per cent of property owners who require certification of their pool/spa are advised that these certificates are now overdue.
Property owners can appoint either a private or Council swimming pool inspector to inspect and certify the safety barrier and this needs to be done every four years. The Inspector must be registered with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).
