Wodonga Council — New swimming pool and spa regulations

Owning a pool or spa can come with some strict safety responsibilities.

The Victorian Government has introduced new legislation in an effort to make swimming pools and spas safer for everyone and to prevent drownings of young children in home pools.

Under this new legislation, all swimming pools and spas must be registered with your local council before November 1, 2020 and have the pool or spa inspected and certified every four years.

This date was extended in May, 2020 in acknowledgement of the extra pressure on families and the increased workload on local councils due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

This legislation was introduced after numerous investigations found that unmaintained and non-compliant pool barriers contributed to the deaths of children in backyard pools. Read more on the Victorian Building Authority website.

So … What do you have to do?

STEP ONE: Register your swimming pool or spa

You will need to ensure that your swimming pool or spa is registered with the council, and pay the lodgement fee.

The lodgement fee is $80.25 which consists of a $31.84 registration fee (Regulation 147p) and an information search fee of $47.24. The information search fee is to confirm the building permit details on file, retrieve files from archives where necessary and to determine the regulation it was approved under.

STEP TWO: Get an inspection

Under the new legislation you are required to arrange for an inspection of your pool or spa every four years.

This enables you to obtain a Certificate of Pool or Spa Compliance, certifying that your pool or spa complies with the relevant safety standard.

Inspections can be carried out by the council, or a licensed alternative provider.

When do I need to arrange an inspection?

Pools and spas installed before April 8, 1991 - must be inspected and compliant before November 1, 2021;
Pools and spas installed between April 8, 1991 and April 30, 2010 - must be inspected and compliant before November 1, 2022; and,
Pools and spas installed from May 1, 2010 - must be inspected and compliant before November 1, 2023.

Preparing for your inspection

Before council officers come to inspect your pool to issue your compliance certificate, be sure to use the relevant self-assessment checklist – this checklist will be provided once your pool is registered with the council.

This will ensure your pool has the best chance of passing the inspection and being issued a compliance certificate.

STEP THREE: Lodge your Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance

A Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance will be issued by the Building Inspector once satisfied that the pool or spa is compliant.

This must be lodged with the council within 30 days of the date listed on the certificate if the inspection is not conducted by the council.

To lodge your Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance, you will need to contact the council.

Contact our helpful team on (02) 6022 9300 for more information.