Private swimming pools
Drowning is a leading cause of deaths in children and we all need to play our part to prevent further tragedies.
Four key actions to prevent children drowning
- Supervise - active supervision means focusing all of your attention on your children all of the time when they are in, on or around the water.
- Restrict access - by placing a barrier between the child and the water - either by placing a barrier around the water (appropriate pool fencing) or a barrier around the child (Child Safe Play Area).
- Water awareness - water familiarisation, checking for and removing water hazards, setting rules around water and discussing water safety with your child.
- Resuscitate - a family member is the first on the scene in most emergency situations. In fact, many children are alive today because their parents knew how to perform CPR and responded quickly. For this reason alone, Royal Life Saving encourages everyone to learn CPR.
Visit www.royallifesaving.com.au for more information.
Installing a new pool or spa - the approval process
As a general guide, pools and spa pools that hold 2,000 litres of water or more will need development consent from us at council. This includes pools on farms as well.
Development consent will involve a Development Application and Construction Certificate, or may meet Complying Development Certificate (CDC) requirements. More information about the CDC requirements is outlined in the State Environment Planning Policy.
Applications for development consent are made via the NSW Government Planning Portal.
Please contact us if you need any assistance or clarification.
Key requirements for approval and to pass inspections
Property owners - registering your pool
All pool owners are now required to register their pool on an online register provided by the NSW State Government.
Registration is free.
If you can’t access the online register or are having trouble, please contact us at council for assistance.
Register your pool
Property owners - key requirements for approval and to pass inspections
Pool fencing
It is a legal requirement to fence all bodies of water over 300 mm in depth that are primarily used for human aquatic activity (this includes paddling pools and wading pools etc). Ensuring your pool fence is compliant can prevent a tragedy.
Pool owners should ensure that their fencing meets the required measurements below. This is to stop a young child being able to squeeze under or between gaps in a fence, or being able to climb over it.
In NSW, a pool fence must:
- be at least 1.2 m high (as measured from the finished ground level)
- not leave a gap at the bottom bigger than 10 cm from the finished ground level
- not have gaps of more than 10 cm between any vertical bars in the fence
- if containing horizontal climbable bars, have these spaced at least 90 cm apart
Inspect your fence regularly to ensure it meets Australian Standards at all times.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) signage
A CPR resuscitation chart must be displayed within the pool or Spa area.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is life-saving first aid. It is a combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions delivering oxygen and artificial blood circulation to anyone in cardiac arrest.
Up to date CPR charts can be purchased from any of the council offices.
Swimming pool inspection program
Our objective is to inspect residential swimming pools every 3 years and to inspect tourist or visitor accommodation swimming pools every 12 months.
During the inspection, Council will check that all safety barriers and warning/resuscitation posters are compliant and meet the necessary standards so as to minimise the risk of drowning.
Any pool found to be non-compliant will be required to meet the current standards.
We contact pool owners before a pool inspection to arrange for the inspection to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.
Selling a property with pool or spa
A swimming pool owner must obtain a swimming pool compliance certificate from us at council before they can sell or lease their property.
The swimming pool compliance certificate is valid for 3 years and certifies your swimming pool barrier fencing complies with the relevant standard.
Your pool must be registered on the NSW State-wide register In order to apply for a swimming pool compliance certificate before applying for a compliance certificate.
Once we have received your application, a council officer will contact you to arrange a suitable time to undertake an inspection of your swimming pool barrier fencing.
Apply for a Swimming Pool Compliance Certificate