Pool and spa owners will now have until November 1 to register with local councils - an extension of five months - due to the impacts of coronavirus.
The Victorian Government has extended the deadline for the mandatory registration of private pools and spas from the original 1 June deadline.
The new deadline takes into account the extra pressure on families and the increased workload on councils due to the pandemic.
"We know many people are doing it tough and this gives owners and councils more time to comply with the new regulations ahead of next summer," Minister for Planning Richard Wynne said.
"Pool and spa ownership is a choice and with that choice comes the responsibility of making sure they are safe."
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"These regulations are necessary to prevent children continuing to drown in backyard pools with non-compliant safety barriers."
Most drowning deaths of children under five happen in home swimming pools - since 2000, 27 young children have drowned in private pools and spas in Victoria.
The Coroner found in at least 20 of these cases the safety barrier was non-compliant, and this is likely to have played a role in the deaths.
The Government introduced new regulations in December last year to make swimming pools and spas safer and prevent young children from drowning.
These changes require owners to register their pools and spas with their local council with a one-off fee of up to $79.
Once registration is complete, the council will inform the pool owner of the date by which they must organise their first inspection and certification of their barrier - the deadline for owners to lodge their first barrier certification will also be extended.
In addition, owners must have a registered building surveyor or inspector certify the continuing compliance of their safety barrier every four years.
Owners who fail to register their pool or spa with their council by November 1, 2020 may face an on-the-spot fine of $330.
For more information on the Victorian Government's pool safety reforms, visit vba.vic.gov.au.
