Partners
LIWA Aquatics is often asked questions about the aquatic industry, but one of the most common questions or misunderstandings is about Membership and Accreditation. We have found that a lot of members are still confused about these two very different components of LIWA.
Membership
A LIWA membership (Individual Membership) is a fee that is paid either annually (which is what 99% of the industry does) or can be paid over a 3-year period. (This option is sometimes taken up by people who wish to pay for membership for the full 3 years that their accreditation period is covered)
The benefits of being a member of LIWA Aquatics is that you get discounted rates at LIWA events such as Conferences and Seminars. e-News, Aquatic Recreation Journal, industry representation by LIWA Aquatics as the Peak Body, and FREE processing of your Accreditation Renewal.
Some people might choose to have LIWA Membership that does not require Accreditation, examples might be Lifeguards, Centre Managers who do not have the roles of a supervisor or duty manager but again want to have the benefits of LIWA membership or any other person that is affiliated with the aquatic recreation industry but does not need to be accredited can also be Individual Members.
Accreditation
Accreditation is a requirement of the Health Department of WA Code of Practice that all Aquatic Technical Operators (Duty Managers/Supervisors/Aquatic Managers) of Group 1 pools MUST hold accreditation which is issued by LIWA Aquatics.
Accreditation is a certification that is given to people who have completed the criteria of accreditation. Accreditation is issued for a 3-year period. As part of being a LIWA Member, you can renew your accreditation for FREE. We do not charge to process your accreditation application BUT as an agreement for processing this application, LIWA members MUST maintain their LIWA membership fees each year for the full period of the accreditation or pay for all 3 years upfront. As a member, we give you this option.
If payments to maintain your membership are not made during the 3-year period of accreditation then when renewal of your accreditation is due, arrears will be owed for the period missed.
If a person who DOES NOT want to be a member of LIWA Aquatics but requires to be accredited here in WA (Which I have not had anyone to date not want to be a member) can do so, but the full 3 years of accreditation fee is to be paid upfront before accreditation is given. This will be at the cost of (Currently $396 inc GST) This is the same amount as 3 years membership.
Another misunderstanding about accreditation is that members think that their accreditation is automatically renewed if they attend LIWA conferences and seminars. This is NOT True.
Accreditation is an application that needs to be physically completed prior to your accreditation expiring. If you let it expire you will be deemed to be a non-accredited operator which is going against the code of practice requirements.
Members need to formally apply for re-accreditation by completing the Accreditation Renewal Application (This is now online here and you will start receiving reminder notices up to 90 days before it expires).
You will need to provide certificate evidence for your PD if it has been done with a third party (examples could be an SCBA, Fire Warden Course or Chemical Handling etc)
You need to complete 2 PD sessions in a 3 year period. For more information or FAQ about what is considered PD head over to the LIWA Website Accreditation FAQ Page once you have finished reading this.
Pool Lifeguard and First Aid are NOT considered PD as they are mandatory requirements. PD has to relate to your role as an Aquatic Technical Operator (things like Bronze Medallion or swim teaching are not valid PD)
Members will now be issued reminder notices about both membership and accreditation expiry. Please take note of which is which. We often get members calling us to say they have a certificate that states expiry in 2023 but they got an email stating fees are due. The email will be relating to the membership fees explained above, not accreditation so please take note of what the email is reminding you about. If unsure you can always log into your account to check.
Online LIWA Member Accounts
If you are a member of LIWA Aquatics then you will have an online account. If you are unaware of your username or password then you can go to the log-on component and request that these details are emailed to you. If you have done this and have not received an email then get in contact with us to check if we have old or different details on your record.
Some of you may already have expired and will need to renew your membership. Only paid-up members will have access to an active LIWA account so please renew.
Once you have logged in ALL members can view their membership details by clicking on Account in the top right-hand corner.
This will display your account information such as personal contact information, expiry dates for membership, accreditation details (you can download your certificate here) and any events that you have booked into. it will keep a running history of your LIWA Account.
LIWA's new website is designed to allow our members to self-help and self-manager their accounts. Things like changing your contact address if you move (ie the address you put down in your account will be where your mail including the ARA journal will be sent) You can allocate 2 emails address on your account (Home and Work) to ensure you get emails correspondence even when on holidays from work. the primary email account is where login information will be sent.
If your pool in your accounts' Basic information is different to where you are working now, please let me know so I can change this in the backend. You can change your employment information at the bottom of your account but will still need to let us know your new facility.
Member Invoices
The new website is set up to link to you as an individual member. When you do things like renew your membership fees or register for a paid event like a conference or seminars then an invoice will automatically be sent to you in YOUR NAME.
If your EMPLOYER is paying for these fees (membership or event registration) It is important that you complete the Who am I billing? fields and put down Employer. You will need to put in their contact information and also need to put in a PO number if it is going to your accounts department.
If you put Me in this field I assume you are paying, so no further action will be done by LIWA as the invoice you get emailed is the invoice you pay on. Individuals have 7 days for payment.
If you select Employer for me to Bill then I will send a separate invoice to your employer for payment. Please do not get them to pay on your individual invoice with your name on it as a separate invoice will be raised for them in their name. (Employers are given 30 days for payment)
LIWA has developed this website for our members to have more access and better control of their information.
Remember, to have an active LIWA account your fees need to be paid up (or at least an invoice sent to your employer).
Please do not hesitate in contacting us if you still have questions
LIWA Aquatics