HELPFUL HINTS

HELPFUL HINTS

Pool and Spa Safety Barriers

As of 1 December 2019, it will be mandatory for owners of land where a swimming pool or spa is located, to register their pool or spa with their relevant council, have their safety barriers inspected and to lodge a certificate of barrier compliance with their local council.

KEY POINTS

  • New laws for the registration, inspection and compliance of pool barriers in effect as at 1 December 2019.
  • Pools & Spas must be registered with local councils by 1st June 2020.
  • Inspections & lodgement due by 1st June 2021 *pool age decides the due date.
  • Poolside Beaconsfield will assist with all compliance requirements.

REGISTRATION OF POOLS AND SPAS

Pool and spa owners have until 1st June 2020 to register their pool or spa with their local council. These changes require owners to register their pools and spas with their local council with a one-off fee of up to $79.

For pools and spas constructed prior to 1 June 2020 that have an unknown construction date, an information search fee may be charged, up to a maximum of $47.24.

Pools and spas constructed after 1 June 2020 must be registered within 30 days after issue of occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection.

Once your swimming pool or spa has been registered, you need to arrange an inspection of the safety barrier to determine if the barrier is compliant with the applicable barrier standard.

An inspection of your pool or spa barrier can only be carried out by:

  • a registered building surveyor
  • a registered building inspector
  • a municipal building surveyor

POOL SAFETY BARRIERS

All swimming pools and spas capable of containing water greater than 300mm (30cm) must have a compliant safety barrier to restrict access to the pool area by young children (under the age of five).

Barriers are required for:

  • in-ground pools and spas
  • above-ground pools and spas, including relocatable and inflatable pools that are capable of holding more than 300mm (30cm) of water and require assembly on site.
  • indoor pools and spas
  • bathing and wading pools capable of containing more than 300 mm (30cm) of water.

As a pool or spa owner, you have an obligation to maintain the operation of your swimming pool or spa barrier to prevent access to the pool or spa.

The following checklists will help you assess the safety of your barrier. The checklists are based on the relevant barrier standard associated with the date that the pool or spa was installed.

  • Checklist 1 (for pools and spas installed before 8 April 1991)
  • Checklist 2 (for pools and spas installed between 8 April 1991 and 30 April 2010)
  • Checklist 3 (for pools and spas installed from 1 May 2010)

If the inspector determines that your safety barrier complies with the applicable barrier standard, they will issue a certificate of barrier compliance. As the owner of the land with the pool or spa, you then need to lodge the certificate with your council. You must do this within 30 days of receiving the certificate. Pool owners will have 60 days to bring their pools into compliance if an inspector identifies any non-compliant safety concerns.

The fee for lodging a certificate of pool and spa barrier compliance will be up to a maximum of $20.50, with certificates of compliance being required to be lodged once every four years. Hefty fines will apply for pool and spa owners who do not register their pool or spa.

Inspection and lodgement of the certificate of barrier compliance for pools and spas:

  • For pools and spas constructed on or before 30 June 1994, a certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged by 1 June 2021
  • For pools and spas constructed between 1 July 1994 and 1 May 2010, a certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged by 1 June 2022
  • For pools and spas constructed between 1 May 2010 and 31 May 2020, a certificate of barrier compliance must be lodged by 1 June 2023

For pools and spas constructed on or after 1 June 2020, a certificate of barrier compliance is due within 30 days of occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection. This certificate must accompany an application for registration. The next certificate of compliance is due four years after registration.


Here are another few links that may be helpful.

www.mpbaa.com.au/fact-sheets/2-safety-barriers

https://kidsafe.com.au/safe-barriers-save-lives/

www.mansfield.vic.gov.au/forms/swimming-pool-spa-registration-form