Sydney Pool Safety Inspections and Certifications
A pool safety inspection and certification confirms whether swimming pools and spas comply with the Swimming Pools Act, Regulations and Referenced Australian standards. In Sydney, the law surrounding pool safety inspections is governed by the Swimming Pools Act 1992 and the Swimming Pools Regulation 2018. These laws set out the requirements for the construction, maintenance, and safety of swimming pools and spa pools in NSW. Under these laws, all swimming pools and spa pools in NSW must be registered with the local council. Owners must obtain a valid certificate of compliance or non-compliance before they can sell or lease their property.
Get your pool in Sydney certified
Pool Safety Inspection Sydney
Professional Pool Inspectors Sydney
We are the local expert for pool certification services in Sydney. As an experienced business owner with over 20 years working in building and inspection services, we have conducted numerous thorough pool safety inspections and finished minor repairs to help homeowners bring their pools up to relevant standards. Our goal is to issue valid safety compliance certificates so that Sydney-siders can comply with changes in NSW law.
Certifying Swimming Pools in Sydney
The process involves a licensed inspector assessing the safety and compliance of the pool fence, gate, and surrounding area before issuing a certificate of compliance. Pool owners must rectify any identified issues for the certificate to be issued.
The beautiful harbour and beaches make Sydney a great place to live, play, and explore. Sydneysiders love swimming in outdoor pools like the Icebergs near Bondi Beach or the Boy Charlton pool near the Domain. Rain or shine, people enjoy poolside parties all year round. With the prolonged heatwave in Sydney starting, pools around the city have been very crowded. In just six months, one million residents and visitors have enjoyed Sydney’s water sports facilities. This love for water extends to the home, with tens of thousands having a pool or spa in their backyards for a cool dip or social gatherings throughout the seasons.
Certifying Pools Across Sydney
Pool Safety Inspections & Certifications Sydney
Register Your Sydney Backyard Swimming Pool
NSW Swimming Pool Register
Revisions to laws in New South Wales now require that a home with a pool or spa cannot be sold or rented without a valid certificate of safety compliance. The NSW Swimming Pool Register serves as the central database for all swimming pools and spa pools in NSW, ensuring proper registration and compliance with safety requirements. All owners must register their pool online or through the local council and obtain a certificate of compliance before selling or leasing their property. This emphasizes the importance of having a pool certification in Sydney, as it is now mandatory.
For more info, visit the NSW Pool Register website.
Certified Pool Operator Test
Once a pool is registered, owners are also required to obtain a valid certificate of compliance or a certificate of non-compliance before they can sell or lease their property. This ensures that all swimming pools and spa pools in NSW are safe and compliant with the relevant legislation.
Compliance Certificate
To get a compliance certificate, a licensed inspector will assess the pool fence, gate, and surrounding area for safety and compliance. The compliance certificate is valid for three years; after this period ends or if the property is sold/leased within it, re-inspection and new certification are necessary. This ensures legal obligations are met while maintaining safety standards.
Request a Pool Certificate
Pool Barrier Certification
All Residential swimming pools must be registered before we can do our inspection.
Under the legislation, owners of swimming and spa pools must register their pool on the NSW Swimming Pool Register. This can be done online or through the local council, and requires owners to provide information such as the address of the pool, the type of pool, and the date of construction.
Use the link below to register your pool.
Register Your Pool
Pool certification Sydney
E1 Accredition – Pool Certifier in Sydney
Pool certification Sydney and NSW are completed by Private Pool certifiers who have an E1 accreditation or can also be completed by your local council.
Swimming pool certification Sydney is required for all Pool and Spas and are checked against the Swimming Pool Act 1992 No49, the Swimming Pool Regulations 2018 and the Australian Standard 1926.1. The year of the Australian Standard to be utilised will depend on when the pool was built and Clause 30 and 31 of the regulations.
Pool inspections in Sydney can take between 30 and 60 minutes. The inspector will do a comprehensive inspection and if the Pool fence, Gate and barrier all pass the regulations you will be issued with a swimming pool compliance certificate, which lasts for three years. If the Pool fence does not been the current pool requirements, you will be issued a notice under section 22E showing all areas that require attention with images and recommendations on how to fix them.
You will have six weeks to have the items noted fixed before the notice is forwarded to your local council. From there the local council will take over the inspection process and have your pool barrier made compliant.
Sydney Swimming Pool Regulations
Swimming Pool Act NSW
In 2012 the NSW government reviewed the Swimming Pool Act amongst other things that deals with the requirements for child-resistant safety barriers around private swimming pools.
In NSW and Sydney Pool certification is required for all pools if you are selling or leasing your property. If you are selling a property and the pool inspection result came back non-compliant you can request that the certifier issue you a non-compliance certificate and sell the property as is. This now becomes the responsibility of the purchaser. The Purchaser will have 90 days from settlement to make the required repairs before the local council steps in to force the new owners to do the repairs. The local council has lost of powers and can take legal action or issue fines if the pool barrier repairs are not completed.
Sydney Residential Swimming Pools
New home purchase with a pool
Buyer beware! If you’re buying a home with a swimming pool that has been issued with a non-compliance certificate, you should tread water carefully. Repairing the pool fence can be very costly and may involve installing an entirely new pool and boundary fence to meet regulations. It’s crucial to ensure that the pool is compliant with safety laws, properly fenced, and free from any potential hazards before considering such a purchase.
Pool Barrier Checklist
Pool Fencing
- The height of the fence must be at least 1200mm all the way around, measured from the outside of the pool.
- If a boundary fence forms part of the pool fence, it must be at least 1800mm high measured from the inside of the pool area.
- The gap between the bottom of the fence and the ground must be no more than 100mm.
- Vertical or near-vertical rails on the fence and gate must be less than 100mm apart.
- Must not have potential hand holds or foot holds within 900mm of the top of the pool fence in any direction.
- Must have a 300mm clearance from the barrier inside the pool area.
- If perforated or mesh fencing is used, the holes must be 13mm wide or less.
- The pool fence must be well maintained and in a good state of repair with no holes, broken rails or palings.
Pool Gates
- The gate must be close on its own and latch by itself from any position.
- The gate latch must be working well so that the gate is secure and cannot be opened from the outside once locked.
- The gate must open outwards and away from the pool.
- The release for the gate latch must be at least 1500mm above ground level, or the release for the gate latch must be located on the inside of the fence and surrounded by a 450mm shield so that it can only be accessed by reaching over the fence or through a latch access point that is 1200mm above the ground.
- The gate latch itself must be at least 150mm below the top of the fence or latch shield access point.
Miscellaneous
- If a wall forms part of the pool barrier, then there must not be an opening greater than 100mm.
- All windows must only open to a maximum of 100mm or the windows must be totally covered by bars or a mesh screen.
- The height from the sill of the lowest opening panel of a window to the pool area must be 1800mm from the ground.
- There must be an appropriate warning sign, including details of resuscitation (CPR) techniques, in the immediate vicinity of the pool area which can be easily read from a distance of 3 metres.
- The pool fence must be clear of any objects such as BBQs, trees, rocks, shrubs and deckchairs that could help a small child climb over the fence.
Indoor Pool Checklist
Pools Without Child-Resistant, Lockable Cover
- The latch or knob on the door to the pool must be at least 1500mm from ground level.
- The door must open outwards, away from the pool area.
- The door should automatically close and lock on its own from any open position.
- There must be no pet doors or openings that are more than 100mm.
Indoor Pools with Windows
- The windows into the pool area must only open up to 100mm.
- If windows open more than 100mm, they should be covered by bars or a mesh screen so they cannot be accessed from the outside.
- If the windows open more than 100mm and are not covered by bars or a mesh screen, the window sill from the lowest panel height must be at least 1800mm from the ground.
Outdoor Spa Checklist
Spas with Child-Resistant, Lockable Cover
- Must be covered by the child-resistant, lockable cover at all times when not in use.
- A current CPR sign must be displayed in clear view of the spa and easily ready from a 3-metre distance.
Spas Enclosed by a Pool Fence
- If the spa was built before 1 September 2008, the fence must be at least 1200mm high all the way around the spa.
- If the spa was built after 1 September 2008, the fence must be at least 1800mm high all around the spa.
- There must be no gaps of more than 100mm under your spa fence.
- There must be no gaps of more than 100mm between the vertical or near-vertical rails of the fence gate.
- There must be no potential hand holds or foot holds within 900mm of the top of the spa fence in any direction.
- The spa fence must be well maintained and in a good state of repairs, containing no holes, broken rails or palings.
- If a wall forms part of the spa barrier, there must be no openings of more than 100mm.
Spas Enclosed by a Pool Gate
- The spa gate must close on its own and self-lock from any open position.
- The spa gate must be securely closed and unable to be pulled open when in the locked position.
- All the gates to the spa area must open out and away from the spa area.
- The spa gate latch should be at least 1500mm from the ground level.
- If the spa gate latch is not at least 1500mm from the ground level, your gate lock on the inside of the fence should be surrounded by a 450mm shield so that it can only be accessed by reaching over the fence or through a lock access point that is 1200mm about ground level. The lock itself must be at least 150mm below the top of the fence or latch shield access point.
Around the Spa Area
- The windows that open directly to the spa area must only open to a maximum of 100mm or have bars or mesh over them
- The heights of the window sills from the lowest opening panel to the spa area must be at least 1800mm from the ground
- Current CPR signs listing the resuscitation techniques must be in clear view from inside the spa area and should be easily read from 3 meters away
- There must be no climbable objects within 300mm from inside the spa area
- There must be no climbable objects within 1200mm from the outside of the spa fence
Licenced and Accredited E1 Swimming Pool Certifiers
Pool Safety Inspections and Certifications NSW
WHY CHOOSE US
- Safety – For you and your family is and always will be our primary focus
- Assurance – Accredited swimming pool compliance inspectors.
- Fundamentally a simplistic approach to ensure that the service provided is easy to understand
- Educate – Our clients in understanding private and public pool safety in accordance with the legislation
- Timely – Pool inspections, reports and compliance certificates provided with reduced lead times
- You And your family’s safety are our number one priority
We offer our services to any pool or spa owner in the Sydney region.
OUR MISSION
We are E1 Swimming Pool Certifiers with a focus on safety and eliminating the challenges of interpreting swimming pool barrier legislation. We aim to exceed expectations by reducing response times and improving efficiency to meet your timeline. We pride ourselves in our commitment to seamless communication and industry-recognised methods. In addition, we guarantee a simple, efficient service that will ensure compliance, and above all, safety in your backyard!
With decades of experience, we share our knowledge through an educational approach. Our priority is to inform clients on swimming pool barrier safety and pool compliance. Whether it’s a children’s pool in your own backyard or a spa pool in your hotel, we are the ones to call. The emphasis we place on ensuring that you understand the regulations as much as professionals like us do is our main objective.
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