LOCAL councils are urging anyone selling a house with a swimming pool to get the pool’s barriers inspected as soon as possible, with new laws coming into effect at the end of April.
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From April 29, properties with a pool cannot be sold until the vendor provides a certificate of compliance or non-compliance for the pool’s fencing.
Liverpool Plains Shire Council warned residents not to leave inspections to the last minute, as the change may lead to inspection backlogs.
The council is recruiting extra staff to deal with the expected rush of pool inspections.
If the pool is non-compliant, the home buyers will have 90 days to fix the barriers.
Local Government Minister Paul Toole said home buyers would be able to negotiate a purchase price that takes the cost of compliance into account.
“While there is no substitute for vigilant adult supervision of children, this change will ensure that new pool owners understand what they need to do to make their pools safe,” Mr Toole said.
“This will ensure that homebuyers are fully informed before entering into a contract of what they need to do to make their pool barriers safe.”
In the past 10 years more than 1000 children have been hospitalised because of backyard swimming pool accidents, with 60 children drowning and 70 suffering permanent neurological damage.
“These statistics highlight the devastating impact on families and the need for property owners to ensure their swimming pool barriers are compliant at all times,” Mr Toole said.
