Swimming pool and spa registration

Click here to register your pool or spa or lodge a certificate of compliance 

The Victorian Government introduced new legislation in 2019 requiring all swimming pools and spas to be registered with Council by November 1, 2020. These laws are applicable to all swimming pools and spas capable of holding a depth of more than 300 mm (30 cm) of water, regardless of its age or status. This includes all permanent pools, above ground pools, indoor pools, hot tubs, wading pools and relocatable pools. Spa baths used for hygiene purposes are not required to be registered.

The new regulations make it mandatory for land owners, including landlords, to be responsible for registering their pool or spa. Land owners are also responsible for engaging a suitably qualified private compliance inspector to undertake regular compliance inspections. These inspections are required every 4 years and a certificate of compliance will need to be lodged with Council before the specified due date.

Compliance certificates 

A timeline for compliance certificates to be lodged is as follows:

• Pools and spas built on or before 30 June 1994 or where Council does not have record of a confirmed construction date, will need to have a compliance certificate lodged by 1 June, 2022
• Pools and spas built between 1 July 1994 and 30 April 2010, will need to have a compliance certificate lodged by 1 June, 2023
• Pools and spas built between 1 May 2010 and 31 October 2020, will need to have a compliance certificate lodged by 1 June, 2024

Please note, these dates are a guide only and subject to change. Correspondence from Council will determine the approximate date by which a compliance certificate is due. Compliance certificates will need to be lodged via the same online applicant portal where the pool or spa was initially registered.

Certificates of non-compliance will need to be acted upon. The private compliance inspector undertaking the inspection will provide guidance on this matter and work with landowners to rectify any issues of non-compliance. 

Safety assessment checklists

Owners who wish to undertake an initial safety assessment themselves can follow one of the below checklists provided by the Victorian Building Authority. These checklists are a guide only and do not amount to legal compliance of your pool or spa; an inspection from a qualified compliance inspector will still be required.

• VBA Pool and Spa Safety Barrier Self-Assessment - Checklist 1 (for pools and spas installed before 8 April 1991)
• VBA Pool and Spa Safety Barrier Self-Assessment - Checklist 2 (for pools and spas installed between 8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010)
• VBA Pool and Spa Safety Barrier Self-Assessment - Checklist 3 (for pools and spas installed from 1 May 2010 onwards)

Change of ownership

If you have recently purchased a property with a pool or spa, you will need to confirm that it has been registered with Council . If the pool or spa has been registered, please complete a Change of Ownership Application Form so that we can update our records and any forward relevant information about the pool or spa to you. If the pool or spa has not been registered, please complete registration via the online applicant portal urgently to avoid possible infringements.

Fees

The following fees have been set by State Government in relation the new regulations:

• A one-off registration fee of $79 for pools constructed before November 1, 2020 or;
• A one-off registration $31.80 for new pools constructed after November 1, 2020
• Compliance certificate lodgement fee $20.40
• Non-compliance certificate lodgement fee $385.10

Please note, your pool or spa is not successfully registered with Council until the registration fee has been paid and your compliance certificate will not accepted until the compliance lodgement fee has been paid. Failure to make either of these payments may result in further fees being applied.

Penalties may be applied for overdue registration, overdue compliance lodgement or failure to register.

Payment options

All fees can be paid via the online applicant portal. Alternatively, you may make payment in person via EFTPOS or cheque at one of our Council offices. 

• To find out more about registration requirements, inspections and compliance, please visit the Victorian Building Authority website.