New legislation around swimming pools and spas

Legislation was recently passed in Victoria to make the registration of swimming pools and spas mandatory.

A new compliance regime will be introduced to improve swimming pool and spa safety.

From December 1, 2019 you will be required to register your swimming pool or spa with your local council.

You will have until April 14, 2020 to do so.

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.

Council or a licensed alternative provider must then reinspect for compliance every three years.

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

To help you to prepare for upcoming regulation changes, the Victorian Building Authority have provided a self-assessment checklist for each of these installation periods at the following links:

A couple of 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.

To find out more, contact council on (02) 6022 9300 or visit council's Wodonga Building Services webpage here.