If you own a pool or spa that can hold water and is 300mm deep or more, there are important laws you must follow to protect people in and around the pool.
Fines apply for not following the swimming pool laws.
Check that your swimming pool has the right swimming pool barrier for when it was built.
You must keep trees, furniture and pot plants away from the swimming pool fence.
You must have a CPR sign near the swimming pool.
The following documents will help explain some of the laws to keep your swimming pool or spa areas safe:
- Pool Barrier Safety Book PDF, 819.25 KB
- Council’s Swimming Pool Barrier Policy PDF, 79.08 KB
- The NSW Swimming Pool Register’s Self-Assessment Checklists.
All portable pools can be a drowning risk, even if they're less than 300mm high.
If your portable pool can hold more than 2,000 litres of water, you will need to get Council permission or approval and it will need to have an approved swimming pool fence.
Always empty your portable swimming pool as soon as you’ve finished with it, and store it away where children can’t reach it.
Children near a pool should always be supervised by a responsible adult. That means making sure you keep eye contact or hand contact at all times.
Leaving children unsupervised for even a moment can lead to a drowning.
Swimming lessons cannot ‘drown-proof’ a child. Don’t assume it’s okay to leave them – even briefly – just because they can swim.
This isn’t a legal requirement, but if you own a pool, you should learn how to perform resuscitation.
Royal Life Saving run resuscitation courses, or search for an accredited first-aid training provider to learn this life-saving skill.
You must regularly inspect your swimming pool barrier and gate to make sure it’s safe. Use the self-assessment checklists on the NSW Swimming Pool Register website.
Council can inspect your swimming pool or spa at any time, however it’s more likely if:
- We receive a complaint about your pool
- Your pool is considered to be high risk – for example, if it’s at a childcare business or foster care location
- Your pool hasn’t been inspected before
- You’ve applied for a certificate of compliance.
Current swimming pool fees are shown below
| Parent HierachyArea | Fee NameFee Name | GSTGST | Current Fee (incl. GST)Current Fee (incl. GST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Complying Development Certificate Fees | Complying Development Certificate | Fee NameSwimming pools | GSTY | Current Fee$600.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Construction Certificates Only | Fee NameSwimming pools up to $12,000 | GSTY | Current Fee$334.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Construction Certificates Only | Fee NameSwimming pools $12,001 to $50,000 | GSTY | Current Fee$441.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Construction Certificates Only | Fee NameSwimming pools more than $50,000 | GSTY | Current Fee$600.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Principal Certifier Fees – Building Works (including All Critical Stage Inspections) | Fee NameSwimming Pools (concrete) | GSTY | Current Fee$675.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Principal Certifier Fees – Building Works (including All Critical Stage Inspections) | Fee NameSwimming Pools (fibreglass,above ground) | GSTY | Current Fee$455.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Certificate Fees – Miscellaneous | Fee NameSwimming Pools Act 1992 (Swimming Pools Amendment Act 2012) – Compliance Certificate | GSTY | Current Fee$150.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Certificate Fees – Miscellaneous | Fee NameSwimming Pools – Per Inspection Fee – Compliance Certificate | GSTY | Current Fee$100.00 |
| Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Certificate Fees – Miscellaneous | Fee NameSwimming Pools – Per inspection- other including inspection related to a complaint or the issuing of a Notice or Direction. | GSTN | Current Fee$100.00 |
| Parent HierachyPublic Health & Safety | Health & Safety Issues | Fee NameImprovement Or Prohibition Notice Public Health Act 2010 (public swimming pools) | GSTN | Current Fee$270.00 |
| Parent HierachyPublic Health & Safety | Health & Safety Issues | Fee NameInspection Fees – Public Swimming Pools – water quality | GSTN | Current Fee$141.00 |
| Parent HierachyPublic Health & Safety | Health & Safety Issues | Fee NameReinspections fee – Public Swimming pools -water quality | GSTN | Current Fee$61.50 |
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