Victoria has strict building requirements in place for design, construction and installation of spas, swimming pool and also their
safety barriers (refer to Building Regulations 2018).
It is very important that home owners be aware of their legal obligations to maintain their pool/spa safety barriers at all
times.
Following requirement must be met regarding spas and swimming pools all over Victoria:
Our inspectors in Australian Property and Building Inspection will examine your pool/ spa against the VBA's checklist to make sure you are meeting your legal obligations before, during and after construction, and more importantly keeping your family safe around the pool area.
Any construction of spa or swimming pool and associated safety barriers can be done by an owner-builder or registered builder
who has achieved a certificate of consent from the Victorian Building Authority.
Any work of $10,000 and more (for labour and material) needs to engage a register builder under a written domestic building
contract; it is $16,000 and more for an owner-builder who must obtain a certificate of consent.
Spa or pool building permits (issued by a registered building surveyor) must have details of the safety barrier included and be issued as one
permit. Such permit is required even if the constructor just builds or installs the pool or spa and won't proceed with installing associated
barriers. This excludes temporary inflatable pools or portable spas each time they are erected; however, they will still require a permanent
compliant barrier for which a building permit is required.
The newly constructed pool or spa should not be used until permanent safety barriers, such as fences, are installed and certificate of final
inspection is obtained from the relevant building surveyor. If you don't comply, not only you risk the lives of family and friends, but you may
also be committing a breach of the Building Act, which carries fines.
You can make sure the house you are planning to invest or live in is safe for families, and especially kids, by
hiring a professional inspector to examine the pool and spa, and receiving a comprehensive
written report back.
Please read more here, on VBA requirements for pools, spas and
the associated barrier, and also for
the process of building permit application.