FAQs - Swimming pool and spa register
Register to ensure safer pools and spas
What pools and spas need to be registered?
Any swimming pool or spa that can hold water to a depth greater than 300mm and principally used, or designed, manufactured or adapted to be principally used for swimming.
This includes in-ground and above ground pools and spas, inflatable pools, indoor pools and spa pools, children’s paddling and wading pools, spas, jacuzzis, hot tubs and swim spas and portable spas.
This does not include bodies of water that are not used or adapted to be used for swimming such as birdbaths, fish ponds, fountains, spas inside a building/bathroom that are used for personal hygiene and contain a drain plug, water supply/storage tanks and dams, rivers, creeks and lakes.
When do I need to register my swimming pool or spa by?
All owners were required to register their swimming pool and/or spa by the 1 November 2020. Ongoing following the construction/placement of your swimming pool and/or spa your Building Surveyor will issue you a compliance certificate which you must lodge with Council within 30 days.
If you erect a relocatable swimming pool or spa, including the required safety barrier, you must register this with Council by the fourth day following the erection/placement.
How do I register?
You can register online at www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/pools
What’s the cost?
The State Government has provided guidelines for the fees associated with the registration as well as the fees for lodgement of certificates. Council adopted these fees based on these guidelines at its Ordinary Council Meeting on 10 December 2019.
- Registration fee $31.85
- Document archive request fee $47.25 (this fee will not apply if a Building Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection is supplied at time of registration)
If I have a swimming pool and spa, do I need to register them separately?
A pool and spa can be registered in a single application, however if they are protected by separate barrier systems there may be differences in the standards to which they are inspected depending on construction dates for each one. Council will work through this with you as part of your registration.
What happens if I don’t register?
The regulations state that it will be an offence not to register within the required time frame which will be subject to a penalty of $330.45.
What happens after I register?
When you complete your application to register your swimming pool or spa, Council will confirm the date of the construction of the swimming pool, the relevant standard that the safety barrier must comply with and the date that the certificate of compliance for the safety barrier(s) must be lodged by.
Once the swimming pool and/or spa has been registered with Council, it will remain on the register until the owner applies to Council to remove it from the register and an agreement is made between Council and the owner of the removal or decommissioning process.
When do my safety barriers have to be inspected?
The regulations state that:
- Pools and spas constructed on or prior to 30 June 1994 are to be inspected and certified by 1 June 2022.
- Pools and spas constructed after 1 July 1994 but prior to 1 May 2010 to be inspected and certified by 1 June 2023.
- Pools and spas constructed on or after 1 May 2010 to be inspected and certified by 1 June 2024.
Who can inspect my safety barriers?
Any building surveyor or building inspector who is registered with the Victorian Building Authority can undertake the required inspection. Some Building Surveyors and Inspectors who work within our municipality are listed on our website. Go to our local private building surveyors page for more information
If you would like an indication of the compliance level of your barrier prior to engaging and inspector, a self-assessment checklist for each standard is available on the Victorian Building Authority website.
Will Council inspect my safety barriers?
Council does not have the resources to provide this service. The owner will be required to engage your own Building Surveyors or Building Inspector to undertake the inspection and issue the appropriate certification.
My safety barrier was only recently inspected by Council, do I have to have it inspected again?
Yes, the owner is still required to provide a Certificate of Compliance to Council so you must engage a Building Surveyor or Inspector to do so.
What happens once the barriers have been certified?
If the inspector is satisfied that the safety barrier is compliant, they will issue a Certificate of Compliance and provide a copy to the owner. The owner must then lodge a copy of the certificate to Council. Council will then record details of the certificate on the register.
What happens if I don’t have my barriers inspected?
The regulations state that it will be an offence not to submit a Certificate of Compliance within the required time frame and this will be subject to a penalty of $330.45.
How often will my barriers need to be reinspected?
The regulations state that a Certificate of Compliance will need to be lodged with Council every four years. Council will write to the owners advising of the next lodgement date.
Can I remove or decommission my pool or spa?
Yes, an owner can obtain a Building Permit from a private Building Surveyor or can make a written request to Council to remove or decommission their swimming pool or spa.
Council can provide advice on the acceptable method of decommissioning a swimming pool or spa.