Council is responsible for administering the Swimming Pools Act, 1992 and the Swimming Pools Regulation, 2018. Residents must check with Council that their pool complies with the requirements of both acts.
Applications and Compliance
A Development Application (DA) must be lodged with Council if you intend to build a swimming pool.
Alternatively, an application for a Complying Development Certificate can be lodged with an accredited certifiers. The swimming pool must meet the standards outlined in the State Environmental Planning Policy in order for it to be considered as complying development.
For more information please email Liverpool City Council.
Safety and Compliance
The NSW Government Swimming Pool Register provides pool safety information, pool compliance inspections and a list of private certifiers who are authorised to issue swimming pool certificates of compliance or non-compliance.
Swimming Pool and Spa Inspections
All public swimming pools and spa baths of various sizes are regularly tested by Environmental Health Officers to ensure that appropriate water quality standards and practices are adhered to.
Pool operators must also be aware of the procedures for minimising the risk of Cryptosporidium in pools. Cryptosporidiosis is transmitted through water that has been contaminated with faeces and is extremely resistant to standard levels of disinfection chemicals, such as chlorine. For specific guidelines to assist pool operators in maintaining a Cryptosporidium free pool, please review the NSW Health Information on Cryptosporidiosis Control Guidelines.
Public pools and spa baths are required, under the provisions of the Public Health Act 2010 to comply with the NSW Health Department’s Pool Advisory Guidelines.
The summer months bring warmth, family gatherings and fun around a backyard pool.
They also bring potential disaster and lifelong anguish if carelessness and a momentary distraction should result in a tragic drowning.
Home swimming pools are the most common place for children under 5 years of age to drown.
Parents and guardians can unwittingly contribute to those heartbreaking statistics by failing to follow elementary procedures of caring and protecting children in and around pools.
For a start more than 90 per cent of backyard swimming pool barriers do not meet minimum safety standards.
Regular maintenance and checking of self-locking mechanism is essential and so is removing anything that could be used to climb over a pool fence.
Golden rules for backyard pool security
- Swimming pools that can be filled with water deeper than 300mm need a child resistant safety barrier.
- Potentially deadly mistakes include gates that don’t self-close or self-latch and trees, chairs and tables close enough to give climbing access over pool gates.
- Don’t wedge or tie gates open.
- Have resuscitation charts on display, including in spa pools.
- Always have adult supervision of children whether in your backyard pool or when visiting friends and neighbours.
- Do no rely on older children to supervise younger people in a pool. They have shorter attention spans and can be easily distracted.
Pool safety regulations
- Swimming pool fences must be 1200mm (1. 2m) from ground level.
- Boundary fences used as a pool barrier generally have to be 1800mm high. Older pools might be exempted if the barrier has been maintained and not changed.
- No gaps under fence of more than 100mm in height and none wider than 100mm vertically
- No foot or hand holds within 900mm of top of fences.
- Pool gates must open outward from the pool area and self-close or self-latch from any open position.
- A current CPR resuscitation chart must be visible in the pool area.
Council recommends:
- Regularly check your swimming pool and spa pool barrier. Checklists are at Register your NSW Pool Now – NSW Swimming Pool Register
- Enrol your children in swimming lessons. Service NSW offers First Lap vouchers for children to learn to swim
- Enrol in a CPR course.
