Extensions for pool and spa barrier compliance

Private pool and spa owners should by now have registered their pool or spa with Council as part of the Victorian Government’s pool safety legislation.

New laws introduced on 1 December 2019 requires mandatory registration of all pools and spas. Since then, approximately 4000 Maroondah householders have registered their pool or spa.

In addition to ensuring your pool or spa is registered, owners (including rental providers) are legally required to have their safety barriers inspected and a certificate of barrier compliance lodged with Council every four years.

Due to public health restrictions having limited the opportunity for owners to organise swimming pool and spa barrier inspections, the Victorian Government has extended the due date for compliance certificates by six months.

The new deadlines for lodgement of certificate of barrier compliance are:

For pools and spas constructed on or before 30 June 1994, a safety barrier compliance certificate is now due by 1 June 2022 For pools and spas constructed from 1 July 1994 and 1 May 2010, a safety barrier compliance certificate is due by 1 June 2023 For pools and spas constructed on or after 1 May 2010 but before 1 June 2021, a safety barrier compliance certificate is due by 1 June 2024

Owners of properties with a swimming pool or spa have a legal obligation to ensure they maintain safety barriers to reduce the risk of unsupervised children gaining access. This includes above-ground, bathing, wading and portable pools and hot tubs capable of holding more than 300mm of water.

New pools or spas constructed after November 2020 should have been registered within 30 days of receiving the relevant Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in property owners being fined.

If you have not yet registered your pool or spa with Council, you can do so using Council’s online portal, or phone us on 1300 88 22 33.

You can check if your pool or spa barriers are compliant using the Victorian Building Authority self-assessment checklist.