Pool Fencing Compliances and Regulations in Different States of Australia

As a private swimming pool owner, to avoid accidents and penalties, you should know the pool fencing requirements in your place. The main pool safety fencing regulations in Australia include:

• The height of the fence should be at least 1200mm.
• The gap from the ground to the bottom of the barrier should be 100mm.
• Pool gate should self-close from any position.
• The latching device height should be at least 1500mm off the ground.
• The pool gate should open outwards.
• In addition, states in Australia have certain laws and guidelines regarding pool safety fencing. They have also various stages of assessment and implementation of this law.

If you have multiple properties with a pool in various states of Australia, you should be able to distinguish the different regulations in each state. This article shows the pool fencing regulations in the various states of Australia.

New South Wales

• There should be a 900mm non-climbable zone outside the pool fence and at least 1200mm above the floor.
• The latching device should be at least 1500mm above the ground.
• Pool gates should automatically close.

If you live in strata or community schemes with more than 2 lots and a shared pool, the pool fencing regulation mentioned above does not apply to your pool.

(To find out whether your pool is compliant in NSW, here is the "NSW Pool Compliance Inspection Checklist 2017")

Queensland

By far, Queensland has a very strict pool fencing regulation in Australia. Below are some of the pool safety fencing regulations in Queensland.

• There should be one gap of at least 900mm between any horizontal rail on the outside, and the gaps in the vertical members should not exceed 100mm.
• For fences that are less than 1800mm high, climbable objects should be at least 900mm away from the pool barrier on the outside. The verticals rails should be more than 10mm apart and 300mm on the inside.
• For fences with at least 1800mm high, the 900mm non-climbable zone may be on the inside of the fence and should be measured from the top of the inside. Make sure that there is nothing underneath this zone that a child could jump on to.
• Latches on the gate should be at least 1500mm high from the ground level and 1400mm from the top part of the lower horizontal railings.
• The latches should also be 150mm below the top of the gate or the edge of any hand hole opening and, if necessary, covered with a 450mm radius shield with no openings greater than 10mm
• Pool gate hinges thicker than 10mm should be at least 900mm apart or the lower hinges should have a non-climbable (sixty degrees) safety cap fixed to prevent climbing.

South Australia

• Any boundary fences used as part of the child-safety barrier should be at least 1800 mm high on the side that faces the pool
• It should have a 900mm non-climbable zone at the top inside of the fence; a boundary barrier may be climbable on the neighbour’s side.
• The latching device should be out of reach of small children and at least 1500mm above ground level.

Victoria

• If a boundary fence is used, the boundary fencing section should be at least 1800mm high.
• No footholds more than 10mm on the fence.
• Distance between any panel should not be more than 100mm.
• Walls of a building can be considered part of the safety barrier if any window that opens onto the pool area are fitted with child resistant metal screens or bars. It should be fixed to the building or the window and can only be opened to a maximum of 125mm.

Western Australia

• The space between the bottom of the fence and the ground should be less than 100mm.
• Latches should be more than 1500mm from the ground.
• Pool gate should be self-closing and self-latching.

Conclusion

Pool fence laws in the different states of Australia may differ from each other but its purpose is the same, to make the pools safe from the unsupervised access of young children.

If you have multiple properties with a pool in different states, knowing the respective pool fence regulations is a must. As a pool owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you comply with these requirements.

If you need further assistance, you can contact a trusted pool compliance inspector. These inspectors are experts in the field and can provide services such as complete pool fence compliance inspection and pool repairs.