Swimming pools and spas

In December 2019, the Victorian Government brought in new laws to make swimming pools and spas safer. The laws apply to all swimming pools and spas in Victoria that can hold over 300mm (30cm) of water, including:

  • indoor pools
  • hot tubs
  • inflatable, bathing or wading pools
  • above-ground and below-ground pools
  • outdoor free-standing or built-in spas.

You must now register your pool or spa with the City of Stonnington, and have your safety barrier inspected and certified by a registered building surveyor or inspector every four years.

Key information

Pool compliance certificates are due 1 June 2023. If your pool was built between 1 July 1994 and 30 April 2010, it’s time to have your pool certified. Make sure your pool surrounds and barriers, including fences and gates, are all up to standard.

If your pool was built between 1 May 2010 and 31 October 2020, your pool compliance certificate is due 1 June 2024.

You must register pools or spas built after 1 November 2020 within 30 days of the Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection being issued.

For more information, visit the Victorian Building Authority website.

How to register your pool or spa

Complete your application

You need to complete the Register a Pool or Spa application (DOC 1.7 MB).

Register online

You will then need to register your pool online with your supporting documents.

Pay the fee

You will then need to pay the registration fee of $34.15.

Please note, if we need to find the construction date, we may charge an extra search fee of $50.70.

After you register

After you register, we'll let you know:

  • when the pool or spa was constructed
  • its barrier standard
  • the date you must lodge a Certificate of Compliance with Council.

As the owner, you must get swimming pool or spa barriers inspected and certified by a registered building surveyor or inspector. Find out more about inspections on the Victorian Building Authority website. You can find an inspector there too.

If your barrier meets the safety standard, the inspector will give you a Certificate of Barrier Compliance. You must give this to Council within 30 days of its issue.

Lodge your Certificate of Compliance online

In line with Building Regulations, you need to pay a $22.10 fee to Council for each Certificate. Your next Certificate of Compliance is due four years after that. We'll let you know the due date.

If Council receives a Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Non-Compliance, in line with Building Regulations, you need to pay a $413.40 lodgement fee. We may follow up the non-compliance with the owner.

Lodge your Certificate of Non-Compliance online

Barrier safety requirements

Safety barrier requirements for pools and spas built before 8 April 1991 are in:

Some important rules:

  • If a pool or spa (even inflatable ones) can hold 30 centimetres or more of water, it must be fenced off.
  • Gates around pools and spas must be self-closing and self-latching.
  • Never prop open a pool gate, even for a minute. This is illegal.
  • Make sure no chairs, tables or any other objects are near the pool fence. Children can use them to climb the fence.
  • All pools and spas built since 2010 require a four-sided fence, with no direct access from the house to the pool or spa surround (a wall of a building may form part of the barrier, however access into the swimming pool area must not be directly available via a door in the wall). 

Regardless of when your pool or spa was installed, you'll find maintenance requirements for all safety barriers in:

For more information visit the Victorian Building Authority website.

Contact us

Email

building@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Phone

03 8290 1333