Pool inspectors ready to roll
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Pool inspectors ready to roll
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More than 150 Queenslanders have passed Pool Safety Council approved pool safety inspection courses and are in the process of being licensed in the lead up to summer and the introduction of stage two of the State Government's tough new pool safety laws on 1 December.
Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said the new recruits joined more than 300 building certifiers already qualified to inspect pools and provide safety compliance certificates.
He said a further 145 people were booked to do the course in coming weeks, with 300 others on waiting lists throughout the State. Pool owners not selling or leasing their properties do not need to comply by 1 December.
The new laws will be phased in over five years to give people time to upgrade unless they lease or sell within that time. For shared pools under a body corporate, a two year phase in period will apply before a safety certificate is required at the point of sale.
"It's important to remember not every pool owner in Queensland needs to get an inspection by or on 1 December,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.
"Only those selling their properties from that date will need to get a pool safety certificate within 90 days of the point of sale. Landlords will need a certificate before they lease or renew a lease on a property with a pool.
"Building certifiers are providing certificates already and an army of pool safety inspectors are being trained and will be available to provide advice and certificates by 1 December."
Course providers are running extra classes and exams to meet the number of Queenslanders looking to learn more about pool safety and become qualified inspectors, and there are already over 300 licensed building certifiers able to issue certificates.
"The swimming pool safety inspector training course and test is tough and challenging because children's lives are at stake. We will not cutting any corners when it comes to pool safety," Mr Hinchliffe said.
He said during the consultation stage, the State Government worked with the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) to ensure mandatory safety inspections and certificates did not impact property sales.
"Buyers now have within 90 days of the point of sale to get a safety certificate to ensure homes sales do not fall over if a pool fails to comply,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.
Pool safety certificates will last for two years for a non-shared pool (e.g. house) and one year for a shared pool (e.g. where the pool is associated with a unit) regardless of how many times it is re-leased or sold in that period.