Wodonga Council — New swimming pool and spa regulations

About the new regulations

The Victorian Government has introduced new legislation to make the registration of swimming pools and spas mandatory.

From December 1, 2019 all swimming pools and spas will need to be registered with the council.

You will have until June 1, 2020 to do so.

The council will check your registration with existing records, determine which regulation your pool or spa falls under then enter it into a register to be inspected for compliance.

The council or a licensed alternative provider must then reinspect for compliance at a time to be confirmed by the government.

All existing swimming pools and spas fall under three different regulations depending on when they were installed:

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

Important things to note

If you are having any work done on an existing safety barrier, a permit may need to be issued to alter the barrier. Work to alter an existing barrier will need to comply with the current regulation (May 1, 2010) not the regulation it was originally installed under.

Property owners and occupants are responsible for making sure pool barriers are maintained, repaired and kept in working order.

A new outdoor pool or spa under the current regulations must not have direct access from any building.

Prepare 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 provided by the Victorian Building Authority.

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

See which checklists is the right one for your pool or spa by visiting the VBA website, or clicking on 'self-assessment checklists' below.

Register a swimming pool or spa

The lodgement fee is $79.08 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.

The inspection may be undertaken by council staff and is a $160 fee. Should your pool fence not comply after direction from an inspection, a certificate of non-compliance must be issued at a cost of $385.10, as set by the Victorian Building Authority.

The fee to lodge a certificate of compliance is $20.45 (If the inspection is completed by others for example, private building surveyor or inspector).

Contact our helpful team on (02) 6022 9300 for more information or fill out the enquiry form below.

New swimming pool and spa regulations

New swimming pool and spa regulations

Enquiry form