FAQs - Swimming pool and spa register

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 used for swimming.

This includes in-ground and above ground pools and spas, indoor pools and spa pools, children’s paddling and wading pools attached to the ground, spas, jacuzzis, hot tubs and swim spas and moveable 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.

For all new builds after this date, once a pool build is complete pool owners are required to register their spas or pools with Council. Your Building Surveyor should also issue you with your first Form 23 - barrier compliance certificate which you must also lodge with Council within 30 days.

If your spa did not require a building permit, you must still organise for a private pool inspector to assess the barrier and provide you with a Form 23 - Barrier Compliance certificate to lodge with Council.  

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.

• Initial once off pool Registration fee $35.10
• Document archive request fee $52.10 (this fee will not apply if a Building Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection is supplied at time of registration)
• If you wish to lodge your first Form 23 - pool barrier compliance certificate also on this form $22.50 

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 $369.85

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 next 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?

In introducing the regulations the relevant dates for existing pools are as follows:

• 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 November 2020 be inspected and certified by 1 June 2024.
• All pools built after this date are required to lodge the first pool barrier compliance certificate within 30 days of registration of their pool on completion of the build. 

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. Council cannot provide or endorse particular pool inspectors. We suggest an internet search of 'pool inspectors near Torquay' will provide those in the local area. 

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 provide this service. The owner will be required to engage a private Pool Inspector or Building Surveyor 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, even if a Council Surveyor has inspected your pool barrier for any reason Council does not issue Form -23 barrier Compliance Certificates so the owner is still required to provide a Certificate of Compliance to Council and must engage a private Pool Inspector or Building Surveyor 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 $369.85.

How often will my barriers need to be reinspected?

Pool Barrier Compliance certificates remain current for 4 years from issue date. Council will write to the owners advising of the next due pool barrier inspection and when the Form 23 is due to be lodged.

Can I remove or decommission my pool or spa?

Yes, an owner 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.