The owner of a swimming pool has the responsibility to ensure that it is always surrounded by a child-resistant pool safety barrier that meets the requirements of the Swimming Pools Act 1992.
A swimming pool is defined as any excavation, structure, or vessel that can be filled with water to a depth greater than 300 millimetres and is designed for swimming, wading, paddling, etc. This includes concrete and fibreglass pools, inflatable pools, temporary or wading pools, spas but excludes spa baths within a bathroom.
Small portable, temporary or inflatable pools must also be approved and fenced like any other pool.
Swimming pool owners are responsible for:
- supervising all pool users - visit the NSW Department of Fair Trading website for further information and assistance
- maintaining pool fences once installed
- resuscitation poster displayed near the pool
- register the pool on the NSW Government's Swimming Pool Register
Council is responsible for:
- enforcing safety standards and investigating complaints of unsafe pools
- inspecting public pools
- inspecting pools for certificates of compliance
To sell or lease a property with a swimming pool, the owner must obtain a Swimming Pool Compliance Certificate, which verifies that the pool's barrier fencing meets the required standard.
The certificate is valid for three years and can be obtained by completing the Swimming Pool Inspections Contract and paying a fee.
Obtaining a Swimming Pool Compliance Certificate Fact Sheet(PDF, 441KB)
The Swimming Pools Act 1992 and Australian Standard 1926-2012 sets the safety standards for swimming pools. Depending on when your pool was built there are three different pool safety standards that can apply in NSW.
Visit the NSW Department of Fair Trading for further information.
If you have questions in regards to your swimming pool call our Built Environment team on (02) 6625 0500 for assistance.