There are around 400,000 private swimming pools in NSW and many families enjoy spending quality time in their pools with family and friends.
In 2024 all new pools must meet the minimum requirements of the current Standard AS1926.1-2012 and the Swimming Pools Regulation 2018 and be surrounded by a compliant pool barrier that separates the Residence, neighbouring properties and public area from the swimming pool.
Owning a non-compliant pool comes with risks. Many pool owners ask me what is required to meet compliance so we start by sharing a Checklist. However a site inspection is designed to identify non-compliant pool. We are frequently told that the pool was compliant when last inspected. Owners claim to have made no changes. However do you have evidence to support that the pool Barrier surrounding the Pool was ever compliant ? Has compliance been maintained as is required by the Swimming Pools Regulation 2018 Clause 30 & 31? For all properties including rental properties what evidence been recorded to show that at no stage was a non-compliant pool recorded?
Book An Inspection
Once a Certifier attends your property he will attempt to assess the pool enclosure under the Standard that is applicable to the stated age of the pool, however with Clause 30 & 31 in effect, this is more and more unlikely to matter.
The release of the Swimming Pools Regulations 2018 does mean that most swimming pools will be required to be assessed under AS1926.1-2012.
Book your pool inspection today
We recommend to seek advice from a professional Certifier before you attempt to carry out any modifications or changes.
Of course the most typical reason to book an inspection is if you are thinking of selling or leasing your property.
During the Inspection here are some common issues we regularly see
- Gates propped open, gates opening inwards, gates that don’t self-latch, gate latches that can be released through gaps, gate latch height too low.
- You may be surprised to learn that slamming the gate is not a suitable test. The gate needs to self-close and self-latch without manual force.
- Gaps below or within a barrier exceeding the maximum permissible gap of 100mm.
- Gaps covered with loose materials or overgrown grass.
- Garden beds installed next to the pool barriers or barriers installed low to the ground.
- Barriers barely held together and sometimes with temporary fixings; posts and base plates rusted through; missing screws and brackets.
- Boundary Barrier height reduced by the installation of pool decking or raised garden beds against the fencing.
- The height of the Boundary fence from the neighbours side is irrelevant to the compliance of your pool enclosure under AS1926.1-2012.
- A barrier incorrectly installed on sloping or stepped ground, incorrect design where the perpendicular height & NCZ’s have not been correctly observed.
- No pool barriers installed with direct access from the Residence
- No CPR signage installed, sign lying on the ground or the sign installed outside the enclosure.
Making Pools Safer, One Inspection at a Time
Book An InspectionObjects Placed Too Close to the NCZ
The Regulations state that you must maintain a Non-Climbable Zone (NCZ) around your pool Barrier fence. The actual clearance to objects or structures depends the type of fence. For pool barrier, a clearance of 900mm (outside) & 300mm (Poolside) is required. For a Boundary Barrier (Pool side) a clearance of 900mm is required in order to comply with NCZ5.
Essentially you need to keep objects away from your fence which reduce barrier height or may aid or facilitate a child scaling the Barrier. Objects we often find too close to the NCZ include potted plants, tree branches and vegetation, barbecues and outdoor furniture however these are easily fixed with their removal from the NCZ.
Non-Ancillary Structures
We find this issue relates to newly built pool enclosures and those built prior to 2008. For the newly built we are seeing full kitchen & dining facilities, wet bars and bathroom, and big screen TV’s all fully within the pool enclosure. These facilities are a part of the Residence, the result of which is inadequate separation from the Residence and a requirement to resolve.
The only structures that can be located within the bounds of a pool enclosure are pool filter enclosures, shade structures and structures such as slides for the pool – these directly relate to the use of the pool. Non ancillary structures such as Garden and tool sheds, clothes-lines, BBQ’s, kiddie cubby houses and trampolines cannot be located within the bounds of a pool enclosure. Why? They are all household items/objects that are a part of the Residence and have no place within a pool enclosure. Their presence distracts from the active supervision of children & can encourage the propping the gate; many older pools do have this problem where the entire back-yard is the pool enclosure.
When planning to sell or lease your property, are a foster carer, or have been contacted by the authorities for a spot check, you need to contact a professional Certifier so they can explain how to resolve this common problem.
You’ve changed your Fencing
Many owners of older pools may have a 1200mm – 1500mm high Boundary Fence and a rusted, incorrectly designed or ugly pool barrier. A common mistake made by pool owners is to go ahead and replace the rusted pool barrier with a new glass or metal pool barrier for example, yet not be aware of the impact of these changes to the whole pool enclosure.
Substantial changes to your pool enclosure could also include renovations to the Residence can impact the pool fencing and render it non-compliant. Changes trigger an upgrade to a later Standard. Changes could include the construction of decking or an outdoor entertaining area, or the installation of a granny flat near to an existing swimming pool.
You haven’t updated your fencing despite its dilapidated condition.
The expected life of a pool barrier or Boundary Fence is probably in the region of 25-30 years provided it is looked after. You know you have problems when you can see popped and broken palings, rusted base plates, leaning fences, and support posts that can no longer support the fence.
You’ve constructed something in the NCZ’s
More of a problem are structures like raised decking, pool filter enclosure, built-in BBQ’s, posts to shade structures and handrails to staircases to name just a few common mistakes. Pergolas are commonly too close to the fencing and sometimes the Residence is too.