Local governments out of the gate on pool inspections

• Local governments should inspect private pool barriers at least every four years
• 2025-26 report shows improvement; number of pools overdue for inspection reducing
• Three local governments account for half of overdue pools

WA’s building regulator has revealed most local governments are up to date with inspections of private pool safety barriers, but more action is needed by underperforming authorities – including three councils that accounted for half of overdue pools. 

To help prevent drowning tragedies, it is compulsory for WA private swimming pools, spas and portable pools with water more than 30cm deep to have safety barriers that comply with the law and restrict young children’s access.

Local governments are required to carry out compliance inspections of these safety barriers. If four years lapse between checks, the pool is considered overdue for inspection. The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Building and Energy division monitors local authorities’ inspection rates.

According to Building and Energy’s latest progress report, local governments inspected a record number of pools – almost 58,000 – during the 2025-26 financial year.

There were 1,621 pools – or 0.9 per cent of all WA private pools – overdue for inspection at 30 June 2026. This is the lowest number of overdue pools since reporting began nine years ago and the equal lowest percentage, improving on 1.2 per cent the previous year.

The report’s final numbers show 57 per cent of reporting local governments were up to date with pool inspections, a drop from 65 per cent at the end of 2024-25.

Three local governments – City of Karratha, City of Stirling and City of Rockingham – were responsible for half of all pools overdue for inspection, but they have since completed inspections of all overdue pools or developed plans to address the remaining inspections. The Shire of Meekatharra and the Shire of Upper Gascoyne did not provide data. 

Excluding local governments with fewer than 20 private pools in their area, the highest numbers and percentages of overdue inspections at 30 June 2026 were in:

Building Commissioner Phil Payne acknowledged the efforts by most local governments to achieve timely pool barrier inspections and encouraged improvement by underperforming jurisdictions.

“Tragically, drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death or life-changing injuries for young children,” Mr Payne said.

“Active adult supervision is the number one protection for young children around swimming pools, supported by other measures including safety barriers, which must be compliant and used and maintained correctly. I urge local governments to prioritise inspections of these barriers as part of the community effort involved in keeping kids safe from drowning.

“Likewise, homeowners need to make their pools available when required for inspection and carry out their own year-round checks to ensure safety barriers are fit for purpose.”

Building and Energy’s annual progress reports were prompted by the Ombudsman WA identifying that more than 8,600 private swimming pools, or around 6 per cent, were overdue for local government inspections in mid-2015.

Progress report: Local governments’ periodic inspections of private swimming pool safety barriers 2025-26 and other resources, including a checklist for homeowners, are available at lgirs.wa.gov.au/rules-for-pools. 

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Media contact: BEmedia@lgirs.wa.gov.au

Report links: Local governments’ inspections of private swimming pool safety barriers 2025-26 | All reports