Do you live in Victoria and have a swimming pool or spa? You need a Pool Registration Certificate.
All the step-by-step instructions to register your pool with council – and avoid the fines. Here’s How To Register Your Pool in VIC.
Easy Click Through Table Of Contents
Australia certainly loves their pools – with more than 200,700 pools in VIC.
They’re an Australian status symbol, significantly contributing towards boosting the value of our property and lifestyle. However, this impressive asset and vacation lifestyle also comes with the high risk of children aged 0-4 drowning.
Since 2000, 27 children have drowned in private swimming pools and spas in Victoria. Investigations found non-compliant safety barriers were likely to have played a role in at least 20 of these cases.
The VBA Victorian Building Association defines a pool >here as
- above-ground pools and spas, including relocatable and inflatable pools capable of holding more than 300 mm (30 cm) depth of water and require assembly on site.
- inground pools and spas
- indoor pools and spas
- bathing and wading pools capable of containing more than 300 mm (30 cm) depth of water.
Swimming pools include concrete pools, fibreglass pools, inflatable pools, temporary pools, wading pools, above ground pools and spa pools. A spa pool is classified as a swimming pool but includes any excavation, structure, or vessel in the nature of a spa pool, flotation tank, tub – though not a spa bath. This applies to permanent pools, above ground pools, indoor pools, hot tubs, bathing or wading pools, and some relocatable pools.
Essentially, a swimming pool, swimming pool spa, swimming bath, wading pool or paddling pool is designed as a structure to hold a minimum of 300 mm water for swimming and other water activities while adding value and lifestyle benefits to a property.
The Deadlines For Your Pool
On 1 December 2019, new VIC pool laws came into affect to prevent children drownings aged 0-4 in private swimming pools and spas. This starts with property owners and managers registering their pool or spa with their local council authority.
You must register your pool if you are a property owner or manager
- selling or leasing a property with a swimming pool or spa
- building a new swimming pool or spa on a property
- new fence being built around an existing swimming pool or spa
- bought a property with a pool or spa 90 days from settlement
- run a family day care, home care or at-home child care facility
- requested by your bank applying for or refinancing your home loan
- directed by council
If you are a property manager of a pool owner for any of the above situations, you need to contact the property owner and make sure they register their pool.
Failure to register your pool or spa, you may face an on-the-spot fines of $330 and penalties up to $1,652.20.
Once a pool is registered, the swimming pool and spa area needs a Certificate of Barrier Compliance to confirm the pool or spa is safe.
The dates of getting your pool certified depends on the pool or spa barriers year of construction
- Before 30 June 1994, due 1 June 2022
- 1 July 1994 – 20 April 2010, due 1 June 2023
- 1 May 2010 – 31 October 2020, due 1 June 2024
- 1 Nov 2020 – present, due within 30 days of the certificate being issued
Gather Your Papers
Be prepared with the name, email address and phone number of the pool or spa owner, as well as any changes (if any) made to the safety barrier since it was first constructed.
Papers may need to be uploaded to show proof
- you are the property owner or have the authority to act on behalf of the owner as the property manager
- such as building permits or notices when pool, spa, barriers or changes to barriers were completed
How To Register Your Pool
Fees are required to pay for your pool registration certificate.
Find Your Local Council
Jump onto the VIC Government’s Know Your Council >here and locate your local council authority.
Register Your Pool
You can register your pool
- Online with your local authority council, or
- Downloading and print the application form
from their webste
Fill In Form
On your online or printed form, fill in the below:
- Name, postal address, phone and email
- Property address with street number, street name, suburb and postcode
- Tick type of swimming pool or spa, whether permanent swimming pool, permanent spa, relocatable swimming pool or relocatable spa.
- If a permanent swimming pool or spa, fill in the approximate date it was constructed, including any paperwork or relevant building permits and any other documentation as evidence of when the swimming pool or spa was constructed.
- If a relocatable swimming pool or spa, fill in the approximate date it was erected
- Notes on building work with changes to the barrier since the swimming pool or spa was constructed or erected including any paperwork or relevant building permits and any other documentation as evidence of when the swimming pool or spa barriers were changed
- Your full name, your signature and the date you’re signing the form
Submit Your Form
Hit submit online and head to check out to pay your fee with your credit card
If applying with a hard copy form,
- send by email to the recommended email address
- by mail to the recommended address
- in person at their office, or
- by phone
Receive Your Pool Registration Certificate
Your local council authority will email or mail your pool registration certificate to your email or postal address where it will look similar to this
Happy Pool Registration
Disclaimer: PoolSS Checklists are a guide only, and does not constitute acknowledgment or approval of compliance or safety. If you check “No” to any of our questions, we recommend you Book An Inspection with a pool safety inspector to carry out an inspection confirming your pool is safe.
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