Tomaree Aquatic Centre was another standout, ranked fourth.

Port Stephens Council contract and services coordinator Ian Crawford said the results were a resounding endorsement.

"To be ranked among the safest pools in the state is a great achievement and highlights the quality of the facilities we have in our region as well as the dedication of the staff," he said.

Royal Life Saving NSW carried out the audit on the Belgravia Leisure facilities that included the Lakeside and Tomaree pools.

Lakeside scored 93.6/100 while the Tomaree tally was 89.8/100.

Tilligerry Aquatic Centre wasn’t outclassed either ranked 11th with a score of 86.1/100 – above the state safety average of 83.99.

The audit considered signage and general repair of the facilities among other criteria that included program quality and staff training. 

The Tomaree and Lakeside facilities and programs scored higher than many more fancied pools including the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre, Andrew Boy Charlton Pool and Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre.

"Council enjoys a great working relationship with Belgravia Leisure, and works closely with them to ensure that all facilities meet the highest safety standards,” Mr Crawford said.

"It's rewarding for us to see this work has paid off and it's fantastic that the community of Port Stephens can benefit from our top quality pool facilities.”

Belgravia Leisure’s acting Northern NSW area manager Suellen Goyne said the results are particularly impressive given the age of the facilities.

"We take safety very seriously, so we are always looking for ways to improve our safety practices and maintain high standards," Ms Goyne said.

"These results are fantastic, particularly when you consider that our pools have out-performed much newer facilities.”