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View the fact sheets below to find the permits that relate to your business. 

If your industry is not listed below, please contact the Economic Development Team.

Industry Guidelines

The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:

• Fitness Businesses
• Hospitality Businesses
• Music Venues
• Personal Services
• Recreation and Entertainment
• Small Industry and Manufacturing

The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat 

The City of Ballarat’s Economic Development Team is dedicated to supporting businesses, small, large, or just starting. By providing us with the information about your business at the start, we can direct you to the right people in the City of Ballarat to progress your vision.  

The team is available to assist you to:

• Conduct initial research to identify commercial or industrial sites
• Guide you through council's regulatory processes
• Connect you with regional markets, key influencers, and business associations
• Connect you with other council services  

Phone:  5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au 
Online application form: Small Business Application

The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.  

On 1 December 2019, the Victorian Government introduced new laws to improve swimming pool and spa safety across the state. Owners of land where a swimming pool or spa is located must register their pool or spa with their local council, and then obtain and lodge compliance certificates for the safety barriers around their pools and spas. Find out more about registering pools and spas.

How do I register?
You can register your pool or spa with the City of Ballarat online, click the Permits and Registers tab and select Apply to Register a Pool/Spa.

What pools or spas do the laws apply to?
The laws apply to swimming pools and spas that can hold 30cm or more of water. This includes permanent pools, above ground pools, indoor pools, hot tubs, bathing or wading pools, and some relocatable pools.

Do the laws apply to all relocatable pools?
Relocatable pools that do not have multiple parts and do not need assembly do not fall under the laws. An example is a small inflatable pool has no assembly other than inflation.

When do I have to register my pool or spa?
You must register your pool or spa now.

What happens after my pool or spa is registered?
Under the new state laws, once your swimming pool or spa has been registered, you need to arrange an inspection of the safety barrier by a qualified inspector to find out if the barrier is compliant with the barrier standard.

If the safety barrier is compliant, the inspector will issue a certificate of compliance. If the safety barrier is non-compliant, you must make the barrier compliant.

How long do I have to lodge a certificate of compliance?
It depends when your pool was built. Find deadlines on the Victorian Building Authority's website.

What are the costs?
For most owners, the cost to register your pool or spa with the City of Ballarat is $35.10

A full list of fees and penalties is available on the Victorian Building Authority's website.

How can I tell if my safety barrier on my existing pool or spa is adequate?
As a pool or spa owner, you have an obligation to maintain your swimming pool or spa barrier to prevent access to the pool or spa.

The Victorian Building Authority has checklists that can help you check the safety of your barrier.

Where can I get more information?
Visit the Victorian Building Authority's website for more information about the new laws, including frequently asked questions.

Property owners and occupants are responsible for making sure pool barriers are maintained, repaired and in working order.

UPDATES TO AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS FOR SAFETY BARRIERS
Applications to request an update to the applicable Australian Standard for your pool or spa barrier can be made where:

• An appropriately registered private building surveyor or pool inspector has certified that the pool or spa barrier complies with a newer standard than the applicable standard determined by the City of Ballarat based on the date of construction of the pool or spa.
• A Form 23 Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance has been provided detailing the new applicable Barrier Standard

Apply to update to the applicable Australian Standard for your pool or spa barrier.

Is a lockable lid a safety barrier?
No, a lockable lid is not a safety barrier and does not meet legal requirements.

What must a pool safety barrier include?
The pool or spa area must be a separate enclosure on the property. No access is allowed directly from the dwelling or from any other outbuilding on the allotment. A safety barrier must be permanent and automatic.

Gates must swing away from the pool, be self-closing, self-latching and have latches at specific heights. Specific barrier heights and other dimensions apply, including non-climbable zones around, and within, the pool or spa enclosure.

Safety barriers are needed for:

• in-ground pools and spas
• above-ground pools and spa pools including inflatable pools holding more than 30cm of water
• indoor pools and spas
• bathing and wading pools containing more than 30cm of water
• spas and swimming spas (including portable spas)

Safety barriers are NOT needed for:

• bird baths
• fountains
• water supply/storage tanks
• fish ponds
• dams

Do I need a building permit?
Yes, you must get a building permit before you install a pool or spa, if it can containing more than 30cm of water.

How do I get a building permit?
A building surveyor issues building permits at the start of a building project. The surveyor can advise what you need to do to get the permit.