It is understood an advertising campaign alerting consumers to the changes had already been prepared by Royal Lifesaving NSW for the laws which we due to come into effect in April.  

"It's been a dog's breakfast," said Robert Guthrie from the Swimming Pool and Spa Alliance, an industry lobby. "This is the second time they have canned it, and the second time they have canned it within six weeks. They need to get serious". 

Concerns that a drastic shortage of inspectors would stop people from legally selling or renting their homes and damage the real estate market are believed to have led local government Minister Paul Toole to announce the deadline would be extended till 2016. It is the second time the government has had to pull back from the brink of implementing the law.

The changes were postponed for a year in 2014 and were first proposed following a pool-safety review after a two-year-old boy in Armidale drowned in 2012.

Shadow local government minister Sophie Cotsis said, despite the extension, the government had not given councils or its bureaucracy resources to carry out reforms. 

"They have failed to undertake proper planning," said Ms Cotsis. "Poor planning and delays are putting lives at risk."

A little less than one-third of the state's residential properties have a pool or spa covered by the law, according to SPSA estimates.

But the state government appeared nowhere near ready to undertake inspections of that magnitude. No pool professionals have yet been trained to carry out the inspections. The government only last week appointed an organisation to run a four-day training course to qualify inspectors.

It is understood about 90 per cent of pools are not compliant with the safety standards.

Local councils can already undertake inspections, but their fees are capped, leaving them with little incentive to undertake the inspections. Most Sydney councils devote little time to the task, the industry says.

"Councils' resources are grossly inadequate," said Tim McKibbin the CEO of the Real Estate Institute of NSW, who had advocated the law be delayed.

A4 building inspectors are also qualified to inspect pools and do not any training from the government. But Mr Guthrie said that it was very difficult for highly qualified builders to find time to inspect pools.

"We [had] heard figures up to $850 [for inspections]," said Mr Guthrie. "These are people who would otherwise be working on bridges". 

Paul Toole, the Minister for Local Government, said the government made the delay in response to feedback from the industry. "[We would] encourage all owners of properties with a pool or spa who are thinking of selling or leasing their properties to apply for a Swimming Pool Certificate of Compliance now."

Under government rules only a select group of professionals are allowed to inspect pools, such as licensed pool builders, home builders, and structural landscapers, the lobby group said.

Michael Ilinsky from the Royal Life Saving Society NSW said the Society supported the extension.

The deadline for compliance is now April 29, 2016.

smh.com.au