Pool Safety Inspector Licensing and Form 23 Certificates (QLD)

What it is

In Queensland, a regulated pool must meet the Pool Safety Standard set out in the Building Regulation 2021 and Part 2A of the Building Act 1975. A Pool Safety Inspector (PSI) is a QBCC licensee who inspects regulated pools and issues the Form 23 pool safety certificate that confirms compliance. The Form 23 is the document the QBCC pool register accepts as proof of compliance for sale or lease of a property with a regulated pool.

Residential builders need to understand the PSI system for two reasons. First, a new home with a pool cannot be handed over without a Form 23. Second, renovations near an existing regulated pool can void an existing certificate.

Who can issue a Form 23

Only a current licensed Pool Safety Inspector can issue a Form 23. The Form is generated through the myQBCC pool register on behalf of the property owner or builder client. A private certifier or general building inspector cannot issue a Form 23.

Licence prerequisites

To hold a PSI licence the applicant must:

• Hold a current building inspector or builder licence at the appropriate class, or complete the QBCC-approved pool safety inspection unit of competency
• Hold professional indemnity insurance of at least $1,000,000 per inspector with pool safety inspections listed in the business description
• Complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points each year as a condition of renewal
• Pass a fit and proper person test under section 32A of the QBCC Act

What the inspector checks

The Pool Safety Standard sets out the technical requirements for barriers, gates, latches, climbable objects and non-climbable zones. A PSI inspects against the standard in force at the time the pool was built or the most recent rebuild. Older pools are not assessed against newer requirements unless rebuilt.

The Form 23 process

A pool safety certificate is valid for one year for shared pools (units, motels, hotels) and two years for non-shared pools (single dwellings). The PSI must inspect, then either:

1. Issue a Form 23 pool safety certificate if the pool complies, or
2. Issue a Form 26 nonconformity notice setting out the rectification works needed

The Form 26 gives the owner a fixed period (usually 90 days) to rectify. After rectification the PSI re-inspects. If the pool still fails, a Form 17 notice may be lodged with QBCC and the local council can act under the Building Act.

Obligations on residential builders

New build with a pool

A residential builder constructing a new home with a regulated pool cannot reach Practical Completion until a Form 23 is issued. The Form is the certifier evidence the QBCC Home Warranty Scheme requires for completion sign-off.

Renovation near a regulated pool

Any building work that disturbs the pool barrier (a new alfresco, a deck, a wall close to the pool) can invalidate the existing Form 23. The builder should:

• Notify the property owner in writing before starting work
• Engage a PSI to re-inspect once the barrier work is complete
• Update the QBCC pool register

Failing to do this can result in QBCC enforcement against the builder and demerit points if the breach is established.

Where TradeLens fits

TradeLens flags compliance risks where a residential build includes a regulated pool but the Form 23 step is missing from the program. The certificate is one of the easier compliance items to miss because it sits between trade work and the practical completion stage.

Common mistakes

• Treating a pool inspection by a builder or trade as sufficient. Only a PSI can issue the Form 23
• Assuming a pool that complied when built is exempt forever. Rebuilds, replacements and new fencing trigger fresh compliance
• Letting the certificate lapse during a sale or lease, which exposes the seller to penalties under the Building Act 1975
• Skipping a re-inspection after building work near the barrier

The PSI system is one of the few QBCC processes where a wrong sign-off can have direct safety consequences. The certificate exists because pool drowning is a leading cause of preventable death in Queensland children under five. The compliance bar is set high for that reason.