All property owners with a pool or a spa have new obligations from 1 December 2019 under Victorian law to register their pool or spa with their local council, and then obtain a Certification of Barrier Compliance by having their safety barrier certified as meeting the Australian Standards® once every four years from an accredited Building Inspector or Building Surveyor like Dr. PoolSafe.  These new pool fence regulations are designed to prevent the accidental drownings of young children under the age of 5.

There are 3 steps to achieving pool or spa barrier safety compliance:

1. Register your pool or spa with your local council.  Each council in Victoria has online services for the registration of your pool or spa.  Following registration, your local council will send you an email or letter confirming that your pool or spa has been registered, confirming the date of construction and the applicable Australian Standard® that it should adhere to.
2. Book Dr. PoolSafe to visit your property to conduct a comprehensive onsite review of your pool or spa safety barrier, and obtain your Certificate of Barrier Compliance. It is very important that you provide us with a copy of the email or letter from your local council confirming your pool or spa has been registered prior to the day of inspection.  This email or letter will include the date of construction of your pool or spa. 
3. Submit your Certificate of Barrier Compliance from Dr. PoolSafe to your local council within 30 days of the date of issue.  

Dr. PoolSafe is Melbourne's leading pool and spa safety professionals for safety barrier inspections.  We are qualified to carry out inspections across Victoria for all existing and new pool and spa fencing associated with:

• Residential home owners
• Body Corporates
• Real Estate Agents
• Motels
• Caravan Parks
• Schools

Property owners with pools or spas constructed prior to 1 November 2020 are required under Victorian law to have their pool or spa registered with their local council by 1 November 2020.  There is a fine of up to $1,652.20 for failure to register your pool or spa. 

It's important to register your pool or spa as soon as possible in order to understand the date of construction which will determine how long you have until you must lodge a Certificate of Barrier Compliance.  

If you have a pool or spa constructed after 1 November 2020, the process is slightly different, as you need to register within 30 days of receiving your occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection.  As part of your registration you must include a Certificate of Barrier Compliance.

You need only register your pool or spa with your local council once, however you will need to arrange for an inspection to obtain a new Certificate of Barrier Compliance every 4 years.

There are 3 different deadlines in which you must lodge a Certificate of Barrier Compliance with your local council, as determined by the Victorian Building Authority.  The deadlines differ based upon the date range in which your pool or spa was constructed, as specified by your local council following registration.

Please keep in mind that you can only obtain a Certificate of Barrier Compliance after your property has been inspected by an accredited Building Inspector or Building Surveyor like Dr. PoolSafe.  In some instances, your safety barrier may require repairs and a subsequent inspection prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Barrier Compliance.  

It is therefore important that you allow sufficient time prior to the lodgement deadline to obtain your Certificate of Barrier Compliance.  There is a fine of up to $1,652.20 for failure to lodge a Certificate of Barrier Compliance within the set timeframes.

If we identify any issues during our review of your pool or spa safety barrier, we will clearly articulate these on the day of inspection together with practical cost effective solutions. In some cases, we may be able to fix minor issues on the day of inspection.

We’re here to help you meet your obligations and will do everything we can to ensure you obtain a Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance.  We're so confident we can help you can obtain your Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance we offer a money back guarantee so long as you make the necessary repairs within 67 days of your Initial Inspection.  Under Victorian law, we are required to conduct a follow-up inspection 

Please note, in the circumstances where we identify non-compliant issues in a safety barrier during an certified inspection, under Victorian law we are required to conduct a follow-up inspection within 60 days of your initial inspection to verify that those repairs have been completed.  

Due to mandatory ethical requirements set out by the Victorian Building Authority we are unable to make the repairs for you, but we can help you find suitably qualified independent repairers from our extensive network of qualified trades.

Yes, we recommend you conduct regular informal checks of your pool or spa safety barrier.  The Victorian Building Authority has made available three simple checklists to help you understand the requirements to get your pool or spa safety barrier compliant.  You can access these checklists here at the Victorian Building Authority's website, you need to select the appropriate checklist based upon the date of construction or your pool or spa.  Your local council will provide this information to you once you have registered your pool or spa with them. 

Please note, inspections conducted by unlicensed individuals cannot be submitted to your local council in lieu of a Certificate of Barrier Compliance issued by an accredited Building Inspector or Building Surveyor like Dr. PoolSafe however.

Yes, we also offer a Pre-Inspection Consultation service.  Whether you are looking to buy a new property which has a pool or a spa and need some independent advice, or if you believe your pool or spa may already be non-compliant, our comprehensive pre-inspection advice can help identify practical, cost effective solutions to help you understand what is required to become compliant prior to having a formal certification take place.  Click here to book a Pre-Inspection Consultation for $285 including GST.

We service all of metropolitan Melbourne, as well as the Mornington Peninsula and the Bellarine Peninsula.

We offer three types of services:

1. Initial Inspection - $275 inc GST

• Comprehensive onsite pool or spa barrier inspection to Australian Standards®
• Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance to satisfy local council requirements if your pool or spa meets the appropriate Australian Standard®
• Inspections conducted by fully accredited and insured Building Inspectors
• Detailed written report with photos included
• Post inspection debrief with the property owner
• Written recommendations on repair works (if needed)

Click here to book an Initial Compliance Inspection

2. Follow-up inspection - $195 inc GST

• This is a follow-up visit by Dr. PoolSafe after you have made all the necessary improvements recommended at the initial inspection
• Comprehensive onsite pool or spa barrier inspection to Australian Standards®
• Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance to satisfy local council requirements if your pool or spa meets the appropriate Australian Standard®
• Inspections conducted by fully accredited and insured Building Inspectors
• Detailed written report with photos included
• Post inspection debrief with the property owner
• Written recommendations on any further repair works (if needed)

Click here to book a Follow-Up Inspection

3. Pre-inspection Consultation - $285 inc GST

• Pre-purchase inspections, new pool and spa constructions, known non-compliance issues with existing pools and spas
• Comprehensive onsite pool or spa barrier informal inspection to Australian Standards®
• Practical cost effective solutions to understand what is required to become compliant prior to a formal inspection
• Detailed written report with photos included
• Post pre-inspection debrief with the property owner

Click here to book a Pre-Inspection Consultation

We don't take an upfront payment upon booking, so you won't be charged until we complete your inspection.  On the day of your inspection, we will send you an invoice by email which is due following the completion of the inspection. 

We accept payment by cash, EFT, VISA and Mastercard.  

It usually takes around 1 hour to conduct an inspection. Whilst you are not required to be present during the inspection, it’s ideal if you are available to speak to once the inspection has been completed.

It is the property owner’s responsibility to have their pool or spa registered with their local council and inspected to obtain a Certificate of Barrier Compliance once every 4 years. Please check with your property owner or property manager to find out if pool or spa barrier at the property you live at is compliant.

Provided your pool and spa are enclosed by the same barrier (accessible as the one space), they are able to be registered with your local council and inspected as one. If your pool and spa are enclosed separately, they will need to be registered and inspected independently.

A pool or spa barrier is designed to restrict access to children and reduce the risk of drowning. The pool inspector’s role is to certify that the barrier inspected meets the applicable Australian Standard and any National Construction Code specifications assigned to the pool or spa.  As part of the assessment of pool or spa barrier, a pool inspector will review the suitability of the protective elements which form a pool or spa safety barrier, including but not limited to gates, doors, windows, fences, retaining walls, and balconies.  

A pool inspection typically takes around 1 hour to complete at the property depending the complexity of the pool safety barrier.  This is followed-up by a detailed written report complete with photos, and in the event repairs are required, a written report on the issues identified and recommended solutions.

In Victoria, it is now a legal requirement that all property owners with a pool or spa  capable of holding more than 300mm of water must obtain a Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance from a Building Inspector or Building Surveyor once every 4 years, independently verifying that their pool or spa barrier meets the relevant Australian Standards or the National Construction Code.