Swimming pool and spa registration
The Victorian Government has introduced new requirements to improve swimming pool and spa safety, including inspection, maintenance and compliance requirements for property owners.
Your pool and spa registration is overdue
The deadline for the mandatory registration of private pools and spas was 1 November 2020.
The Victorian Government introduced new regulations in December last year to make swimming pools and spas safer and prevent young children from drowning.
If you own a pool or spa, you now need to:
- register your swimming pool or spa with Council before 1 November 2020
- arrange for an inspection of your pool or spa safety barrier for compliance every four years
- lodge a Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance Certificate with Council every four years
- pay the prescribed fees to Council upon registration and lodgement of the certificate.
Council will not be sending formal notification to owners, so be sure to register as soon as you are able.
If you do not register your pool or spa by the due date, there is a penalty of $1,652.20.
Why is the law changing
Pools and spas are the most common location of drownings for children aged five and under, and on average four children die in home pools and spas every year.
Eighty per cent of swimming pool and spa barriers in Victoria aren't meeting safety standards. The new state-wide regulations aim to make pools and spas safer for everyone, particularly kids aged five and under.
How to register your pool or spa
If you own a property that has a permanent or relocatable pool or spa, you need to register your details with Council:
- If you don't have an Online Services account, you will need to register an account online. This way you can keep track of your progress through the registration process. You’ll be required to register an account prior to registering your pool or spa.
- Council will be in touch within two business days to confirm your account has been created.
- Once your account has been created, you can register your pool or spa through Online Services.
There is a one-off registration fee of $81.60 set by the Victorian Government to cover administration costs, including an information search fee. You can pay with a credit or debit card or BPAY when you register.
If you're not able to register online, you can complete a swimming pool or spa registration form (PDF 76.2 KB) and submit it:
By post - send your form, supporting documents and cheque to:
Building Services, City of Port Phillip, Private Bag 3, St Kilda, Victoria 3182
You will need to pay by cheque as, for privacy reasons, we don't accept credit card payments in the mail.
What happens after you've registered
After you register, you will receive initial email confirmation that your pool or spa is registered.
You don't need to do anything else until we contact you with more information explaining:
- the date of construction of your pool or spa
- which standards apply to your barrier
- the date by which the first or next certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged with Council.
How to lodge your Certificate of Barrier Compliance
Following your inspection, if the pool and/or spa barrier complies with the applicable barrier standard, the inspector will issue you with a Certificate of Barrier Compliance.
This certificate needs to be lodged with Council, via your Online Services account, within 30 days of the date of issue.
If you do not have a Online Services account, you will need to register an account online. Council will then be in touch within two business days to confirm your account has been created.
Once your account has been created, you can submit your compliance certificate through Online Services by selecting ‘Apply for a permit’ and then ‘Swimming Pool and Spa Registrations’. There is a fee of $21.10 for each lodgement (for the 2022/23 financial year) set by the Victorian Government to cover administrative costs. You can pay with a credit or debit card or via BPAY when you lodge your certificate.
If you are not able to register online, you can send your compliance certificate by:
Email: helpbuilding@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Mail: Private Bag 3, St Kilda Victoria 3182
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
More information
For more information and queries about the new pool and spa safety standards introduced by the Victorian Government, as well as safety barrier guides, visit the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) website.
For anything not covered by the VBA, please contact Council.