Swimming Pool and Spa Registration

• All owners of existing swimming pools and spas must register their swimming pool or spa.  
• A one-off registration fee will be required (set by the Victorian Government)

^These fees and penalty are applicable until 30 June 2022.

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has defined a relocatable swimming pool or spa as: "Any swimming pool or spa that is capable of being relocated". Relocatable pools do not consist of multiple components and do not require any assembly. An example of such a product is a small inflatable pool that requires no assembly other than inflation. 

Any swimming pool or spa that can hold water to a depth greater than 300mm and principally used for swimming, wading, paddling, or the like, including a bathing or wading pool, or spa must be registered with Council.

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 (including portable spas)

This does not include: Structures such as bird baths, fish ponds, fountains, spas inside a building that are used for personal hygiene, water supply/storage tanks and dams’ rivers creeks and lakes.

Once you have completed your registration:

1. You will receive a receipt
2. Our Statutory Building Unit will process your registration.
3. You will receive a confirmation letter outlining the next steps in the process which need to be completed. For further information about the full process, visit our swimming pool and spa page.

Only the one-off registration is required by 1 November 2020.  Compliance is not due until the future date indicated on the confirmation letter, you will receive after you have registered.  

In the confirmation letter, the Shire will confirm:

• the date of construction of the swimming pool,
• the relevant standard that the safety barrier must comply with and the date that the safety barriers must be compliant.

To ensure you have a safe and compliant pool or spa barrier, there are four easy steps to full compliance:

Step 1: Register your pool or spa
Step 2: Get your pool or spa barrier checked by a qualified surveyor
Step 3: Undertake required works to make the pool or spa barrier compliant
Step 4: Have your pool or spa barrier certified

 Learn more on our Swimming Pool and Spa page

Council will be tasked to ensure all affected property Owners comply with the new regulations and penalties will apply for non-compliance.

Failing to register a swimming pool and/or spa with the Shire is an offence under the Regulations and carries a penalty (this fine amount is currently $363.50).

If you your pool or spa has been removed, please let us know using the removed / decommissioned pool or spa form.

Once a pool or spa has been removed or decommissioned the site must be inspected by the Shire. This will be arranged after you have completed the form.

For further information download the Decommissioned Pool/Spa Fact Sheet(PDF, 169KB).

Safety barriers will need to be inspected and certified by a registered building practitioner.

The building practitioner will assess compliance against the relevant standard. Standards vary according to the date your pool or spa was constructed. The construction date also determines the date by which the barriers must be inspected and certified.

• Pools/spas built pre 1994 1 November 2021
• Pools/spas built up to 2010 1 November 2022
• Pools/spas built post 2010 1 November 2023

Once you have received certification from your building practitioner, you need to provide a copy of the certification to the Shire by the relevant date.

You can do that by lodging a certificate of compliance.

Lodge a Certificate of Compliance

Any building surveyor or building inspector who is registered with the Victorian Building Authority is able to inspect and certify your safety barriers.

You can view a list of registered building practitioners on the VBA’s Find a practitioner directory.

The Shire doesn't provide a reference list of these due to the frequency of changes.

Yes, whilst Council may have recently inspected your safety barriers, the changes to the Building Act and Regulations on the 1st December 2019 require all swimming pool or spa safety barriers to be re-inspected and certified by the required dates.