Safety Barriers for Swimming Pools and Spas
Due to changes in the Building Legislation the City’s web pages relating to building related applications is currently under construction. Building Permit Application forms and further information can be found at the Department of Commerce – Building Commission website
The City apologises for any inconvenience.
Drowning is the biggest single cause of accidental death among children under five years of age. It causes three out of four fatalities in Australia in this age group, and these occur mainly in private swimming pools. In 1992, the State Government established compulsory standards for pool security, which requires Local Governments to inspect all private swimming pools when they are installed. Inspections are then repeated at least once every four years.
General principles of pool security
Safety barriers are required to restrict children from unsupervised access to a pool from both off the property and from inside buildings on the property. Barriers should include fences and gates, or modified windows that allow access to a pool.
A property owner and/or occupier is responsible for installing and maintaining the security of a private swimming pool enclosure. Local Governments are required to check safety barriers when a pool is first installed and then to re-inspect at least once in every four year period thereafter.
Pool fences
Pools must be fully surrounded by complying barriers. Boundary fences may be used provided young children cannot climb them and they comply with pool security standards.
Access to a pool area through a garage requires special attention. If a garage has a rear roller or hinged door, a complying fence must be installed between the rear of the garage and the pool.
Access to a pool from inside a building
Legislation requires that new pool installations must have a barrier between the pool and the house or other buildings.
This barrier is usually in the form of a fence isolating the pool from buildings, but may consist of exterior house walls with modified windows that access the pool area. Windows that access a pool must be fitted with barrier-type screens that will provide a similar level of safety to an isolation fence or may be made so that they will open no more than 100mm. The device restricting the window opening to 100mm must require a tool to remove it. Doors accessing a pool area are not acceptable without a separating fence.
Isolation fences and gates
Gates accessing the part of the yard containing a pool must conform to the following:
- be at least 1.2 metres high
- must not swing towards the pool
- must have a closer that will make the gate shut from any position
- must have a latch that self-engages when the spring closes the gate
- must have the latch release at least 1.5 metres above the outside ground surface
- must not have rails or braces that would enable a child to climb towards the latch release.
An isolation fence must also comply with pool security specifications as follows:
- minimum height of 1.2 metres
- maximum spaces between vertical members of 100mm
- maximum space under a fence of 100mm
- both fences and gates must not have any rails or other non-vertical parts closer together than 900mm
A Building licence is required for all pools. The City must issue a building licence before any swimming pool or spa, that will contain more than 300mm (30cm) depth of water, is built or installed.
Application requirements
- a completed Building Licence Application
- two copies of a site plan showing where the proposed pool and all existing buildings/structures are located on the property
- details and location of security barriers
- signed engineers details of the structural integrity of the pool
- manufacturers brochure and specifications for the pool or spa
- signed Engineers details of the structural integrity of a second hand or concrete/brick pool
For further information please contact the City on 9400 4262.
