What Form 23 actually is
Form 23 is the certificate of pool and spa barrier compliance. A registered practitioner can issue it after inspecting the barrier against the applicable standard recorded for your property.
The City says Ballarat owners must hire a private pool and spa inspector for this certificate. The inspector's price is separate from the City's lodgement fee.
The two dates
1. The due date on your council letter
This is the date by which the City expects your next compliance certificate. Keep the letter: it identifies the property, the applicable barrier standard and the due date an inspector needs.
2. The issue date on Form 23
Once an inspector issues the certificate, the BPC says it is valid for 30 days. You must lodge it with the City inside that period, even if the due date on the original council letter was later.
If Form 23 is already more than 30 days old: the BPC says a new inspection must be carried out and a new certificate issued before lodgement.
What a Ballarat owner does next
- Find the council letter. Read the due date and applicable barrier standard printed on it.
- Check the practitioner's registration. Use the BPC register on the day you book.
- Confirm the quote. Ask what the first inspection, reinspection and certificate include.
- Have the barrier inspected. Rectify any issues the practitioner identifies.
- Lodge Form 23 within 30 days. Upload it through the City's pool and spa portal and pay the current lodgement fee.
What the A$23.20 pays for
It is the City of Ballarat's listed fee for lodging a compliance certificate. It does not pay the private inspector and it is not a Pool Letter Help fee.
The City's current page also lists separate registration and non-compliance lodgement fees. Check the official fee page again before paying because statutory amounts can change.
What happens after lodgement
The BPC says the council sends written confirmation of the lodgement date and the next certificate due date. The next certificate is generally due four years after the previous one.