How to register your pool or spa

New pool and spa regulations 

On 1 December 2019, the Victorian Government introduced legislation for pools and spas to prevent children from drowning. Property owners are required to register their pools and spas with Council. They must also have the barrier inspected every 4 years to make sure it’s maintained and compliant.

Under the legislation, owners are required to follow 5 steps:

1. Register your pool or spa.
2. Wait for your registration letter.
3. Book an inspection of your safety barrier.
4. Lodge the compliance certificate by the due date.
5. Have the barrier inspected and certified every 4 years.

How to register your pool or spa 

If you own a property in Boroondara with a pool or spa, you need to register it with us.

If you have a relocatable pool or spa, find out if it needs to be registered under the 'Types of relocatable pools' heading below.  

To find out what’s classified as a pool or spa, visit the Victorian Building Authority website.

If construction of the pool or spa started before 1 November 2020

Construction was also finished by 1 November 2020

If you finished building your pool or spa before 1 November 2020, your registration was due on 1 November 2020. If you have not registered your pool or spa, you need to do this now. You don’t need to do anything else until we email you to tell you when your first certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23) needs to be lodged with Council. 

Construction was not finished by 1 November 2020

If you started building your pool or spa before 1 November 2020, but it was finished after this date, you must register your pool or spa within 30 days after you have been issued the occupancy permit or Certificate of Final Inspection.

The building surveyor or inspector will also issue you with a certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23), which you must lodge within 30 days or it won't be valid.

Steps to register

Step 1: Register your pool or spa

To register, you need to complete our online form.

Step 2: Wait for your registration letter

We will review your submission and email you a registration letter. The registration letter will include information about the: 

• date your pool or spa was built
• applicable barrier standards that apply to your pool or spa barrier
• date you need to lodge a certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23). 

Make sure you check the information in our letter including the:

• date when your pool or spa was built
• records of any alterations to the barrier.

It's important to make sure this information is correct for the building inspector. They rely on this to know which applicable barrier standard(s) to use for their inspection. These could be different depending on when the barrier was built or altered. 

If any information in your registration letter is incorrect, you need to email us at [email protected].

In your email, please include information about:

• any other building permits you know about for works completed to all or part of the barrier
• any other works carried out (where no building permit was issued for the work) to all or part of the barrier.

Please tell us the date when these works started and include details about what parts of the barrier were affected. For example, if you replaced boundary fences.

Step 3: Book an inspection of your safety barrier

When you receive your registration letter and note that all the information is correct, you can book an inspection of your safety barrier. You need to book this with a registered building practitioner, such as a building surveyor or inspector. You can search for a registered building surveyor or inspector on the Victorian Building Authority website. Or you can search on the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors website.

They will inspect the barrier to make sure it's compliant with the relevant standards. 

You need to show your registration letter to the building surveyor or inspector at the time of the inspection. 

If construction of the pool or spa started after 1 November 2020

If you started building your pool or spa after 1 November 2020, you can register and lodge a certificate of barrier compliance at the same time. You can do this when the building work is completed. You must register your pool or spa within 30 days after you have been issued the occupancy permit or Certificate of Final Inspection. 

The building surveyor or inspector will also issue you with a certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23), which you must lodge within 30 days or it won't be valid.

You don’t need to do anything else until we email you to tell you when your next certificate of barrier compliance needs to be lodged. 

Steps to register

Step 1: Register your pool or spa

To register, you need to complete our online form.

Step 2: Wait for your registration letter

We will review your submission and email you a registration letter. The registration letter will include information about the: 

• date your pool or spa was built
• applicable barrier standards that apply to your pool or spa barrier
• date you need to lodge a certificate barrier compliance (Form 23).

Step 3: Book an inspection of your safety barrier

You need to book an inspection of your safety barrier. You can book this with a registered building practitioner, such as a building surveyor or inspector. You can search for a registered building surveyor or inspector on the Victorian Building Authority website. Or you can search on the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors website.

They will inspect the barrier to make sure it's compliant with the relevant standards. 

You need to show your registration letter to the building surveyor or inspector at the time of the inspection. 

Certificate of barrier compliance 

Step 4: Lodge the compliance certificate by the due date

A registered building surveyor or inspector will issue a certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23) if the barrier is compliant with the relevant regulations. You must lodge this certificate on our website by a certain date. This date will depend on when construction of the pool or spa started and finished: 

• Pools and spas where construction was completed before 1 November 2020 – You must lodge your certificate of barrier compliance by the due date on your registration letter.
• Pools and spa where construction was completed after 1 November 2020 – The building surveyor or inspector will issue you with a certificate of barrier compliance (Form 23) after the barrier has been completed under the building permit. You must lodge this within 30 days or it won't be valid.
• Alterations to a pool or spa barrier that is already registered – The owner must lodge this certificate with Council within 14 days after receiving the certificate or it’s not valid.

Once this has been lodged with Council, we will tell you in writing when your next certificate of barrier compliance is due to be lodged. 

Lodge a certificate of barrier compliance

Step 5: Have the barrier inspected and certified every 4 years

You must have your pool or spa barrier inspected by a registered building surveyor or inspector every 4 years. We will email you to tell you when your next certificate needs to be lodged.

Certificate of barrier non-compliance 

If the registered building surveyor or inspector finds that your barrier is not compliant, they will issue you with either:

• a notice in writing that explains what needs to be fixed and by when
• a certificate of barrier non-compliance that the building surveyor or inspector will lodge with us for enforcement action. A fee of $390.75 applies in this situation.

We may carry out another inspection or issue you with:

• a barrier improvement notice 
• building notices and/or orders that require more work to be completed to make the barrier compliant by a certain date.

It you don't meet the barrier safety requirements, this could also lead to prosecution. 

Lodge a certificate of barrier non-compliance

Changes to pools, spas or barriers that are already registered 

If you get a building permit to change a pool, spa or barrier that's already registered, the building surveyor or inspector will issue a certificate of barrier compliance when they issue the Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection.  

You must lodge this certificate with Council within 14 days after receiving it or it's not valid.

After you have lodged this with Council, you don't need to do anything else until we will tell you in writing when your next certificate of barrier compliance is due. 

Types of relocatable pools 

Find out what you need to do if you have a relocatable pool. This will depend on the type of relocatable pool and how long it has been set up for.

Type of relocatable pool	Days set up	What you need to do
Inflatable pool that meets all of the following: Only needs air to be set up. Doesn’t have multiple parts, such as a pump, frame or ladder. Isn’t able to hold more than 300mm deep of water.	Any time period	No barrier or registration needed.
A relocatable pool that meets either, or both, of the following:  Has multiple parts, such as a pump, frame or ladder. Able to hold more than 300mm deep of water.	Less than 3 days in a row	You must install a compliant safety barrier, but you don't need a building permit to install it.  Visit the Victorian Building Authority to find out about barrier requirements.
A relocatable pool that meets either, or both, of the following:  Has multiple parts, such as a pump, frame or ladder. Able to hold more than 300mm deep of water.	More than 3 days in a row	You must:  Install a compliant safety barrier, but you don't need a building permit to install it.  Register the pool with us by the day 4.  Lodge a certificate of barrier compliance with us within 30 days from the date of registration. Visit the Victorian Building Authority to find out about barrier requirements.

Fees 

The Victorian Government sets the fees for registering and lodging a certificate of barrier compliance with councils. These fees don’t include the cost for inspections and will vary according to the inspector you use for this service.

Requirement	Fees
For pools or spas where construction was completed  before 1 November 2020	Registration fee: $80.25 Certificate of barrier compliance fee: $20.70
For pools or spas where construction was completed  after 1 November 2020	Registration/certificate of compliance fee:  $53.00
To lodge certificates related to building permits for changes to existing pools or spas or barriers that are already registered	Certificate of barrier compliance fee: $20.70
To lodge a certificate of barrier compliance	Certificate of barrier compliance fee: $20.70
For a relocatable pool or spa	Registration fee: $53.00 Certificate of barrier compliance fee: $20.70

More information 

For more information about swimming pools, spas and safety barrier requirements, visit the Victorian Building Authority website. 

For general enquiries, contact our Customer Service team on 9278 4444.