Why do you need to get your pool or spa regularly certified?

New swimming pool and spa laws were introduced by the State Government in 2019 to enforce safety barrier standards and reduce the number of deaths by drowning among young children.

These laws require your private pool or spa to:

1. Be registered with your local council
2. Provide proof every four years that you're complying with existing safety barrier standards

You are responsible for ensuring your private pool or spa remains compliant at all times.

Get familiar with safety barriers and standards

What proof do you need to provide?

As a pool owner, you will need to get a registered practitioner (inspector) to inspect your registered pool or spa to confirm it is compliant every four years.

If your pool or spa is compliant, they will provide you with a Certificate of Compliance Form 23 which then needs to be lodged with us for record keeping within 30 days.

Find out who can inspect your pool or spa compliance on VBA's website

How much does it cost?

Contact your inspector how much they will charge to assess your pool or spa and issue the certificate.
We will only charge for the lodging of the certificate.

View our full list of fees.

How to lodge

Once you receive your certificate of compliance Form 23 from your inspector, you must:

• be the owner,
• lodge within 30 days and
• prior to due date.

Lodge now

What happens next?

After you lodge your certificate, you'll:

• receive a letter confirming we lodged your certificate and
• advising you of a new due date in 4 years.

Let us know if you are removing your pool or spa to no longer receive an advice letter.

If you are removing your pool or spa, here are some things to do with us:

1. Check if you need a permit before you demolish your pool or spa
   You can contact us or check out the removal section in VBA's pool and spa practitioner's guide PDF for advice.
2. Notify us of your removed pool or spa
   Once the pool or spa is removed or demolished you'll need to notify us so that you're no longer obligated to provide certificate of compliance every 4 years. We'll remove your pool or spa from our register.

Who can cancel pool or spa registration?

You must be the property owner to remove your pool or spa from our register.

How much does it cost?

Other than the cost to demolish your pool or spa, there is no cost to remove your pool or spa from our register.

How to notify us

If you have removed your swimming pool or spa, you can submit an application to remove it from our records.

Why register your pool or spa?

New swimming pool and spa laws were introduced by the State Government in 2019 to enforce safety barrier standards and reduce the number of deaths by drowning among young children.

The new laws require your private pool or spa to:

1. be registered with your local council
2. provide proof that you're complying with existing safety barrier standards

You are responsible for ensuring your private pool or spa remains compliant at all times.

Which type of pools and spas need to be registered

Swimming pools and spas need to be registered. What is the definition of a swimming pool or spa?

When to register by?

Existing pools or spas must be registered by 01 November 2021.
New pools or spas must be registered within 30 days of completion.

Failure to register in time may result in fines or legal action.

How much does it cost

The registration cost depends on when your pool or spa was built. The fee includes:

• administration costs
• Information search fee for pools and spas construction prior to 1 June 2020 (only for existing)

View our full list of fees

How to pay

Pay by credit card. This fee must be paid at the time of online registration.

How to register your pool or spa

1. Create an account
2. Register your pool or spa

Register now

Otherwise, contact us.

What happens next?

After you have registered your pool or spa, you'll need to:

• Get your pool or spa certified by a registered inspector to provide you with a certificate of compliance
• Lodge the certificate of compliance with us within 30 days of its issue date.
• Continue to maintain your pool or spa barrier. You'll need to submit a new certificate of compliance to us every four years.
• Let us know if your pool or spa is removed

The State Government has a zero tolerance approach to any owners not committed to ensuring adequate water safety for young children. Significant penalties apply if a matter is brought before the court.

How to cancel a pool or spa registration

If your pool or spa no longer exists, you can remove your pool or spa from our records.

Find out what you need to do to build a swimming pool or spa to comply with regulations - let's start with some definitions.

What is a swimming pool or spa?

A swimming pool or spa is any structure or excavation containing water and primarily used for swimming, wading, paddling or the like. This includes:

• in-ground swimming pools
• indoor swimming pools
• above-ground swimming pools (including permanent and temporary swimming pools)
• spas
• swim spas
• bathing and wading pools
• jacuzzis and hot tubs

What is a safety barrier?

Safety barriers help restrict unsupervised entry by young children to the swimming pool or spa area. Sadly, children under five are at the highest risk of both fatal and non-fatal drownings in Victoria.

A safety barrier may consist of a:

• fence (around the pool area)
• boundary fence
• wall
• gate
• screen
• balustrade

And may include attachments such as:

• doors
• gates
• windows
• locks
• latches
• hinges
• self-closing devices

When do you need a permit?

You need a building permit and possibly a planning permit or other approvals to:

• build a pool or spa capable of containing water to a depth of greater than 300mm (30cm)
• install or make changes to all swimming pool and spa safety fences and barriers including windows, doors and gates that provide access to the area.

How much does it cost?

Speak with your private building surveyor to find out how much it costs.

How to apply

We do not issue building permits, speak with your private building surveyor to start the process. Learn more at the Victorian Building Authority website.

What happens next?

After your pool or spa is built, you are responsible for maintaining safety and ensuring your barriers remain compliant with Australian Standard AS1926.1 and are in working order throughout their lifetime.

You'll need to:

• Register your pool with us (if not already done so)
• Get your pool or spa certified by a registered inspector every 4 years.
• Let us know if your pool or spa is removed

The State Government has a zero tolerance approach to any owners not committed to ensuring adequate water safety for young children. Significant penalties apply if a matter is brought before the court.