What Are The Legalities Around Owning A Swimming Pool?

You may have owned a pool for a long time, you may be moving to a house with one or you may be considering  getting one installed. All of these have one big consideration: Legal requirements. Even if you've owned a pool for years, there's a chance you might not be following all the rules. These change occasionally too, so you might not be up to date. So here is a quick checklist so you can be sure, no matter what pool you may have or might be getting, that you're safe.

Fencing

This one is a bit of a 'no brainer'. It is required for all pools to have a fenced enclosure. This is most importantly to prevent any mishaps with young children. Your pool fence must:
- separate your pool from your neighbourhood
- separate your house and your pool
- it must have a height of at least 1.2m, and be at least this far from any other object (such as a BBQ)
- the bars are no more than 10cm apart, and the gap at the bottom should be the same
- The gate should open outwards, and have a lock attachment

Walls

If your pool is connected to your house or very close to, then this area but be entirely enclosed. Any windows or doors that lead into the area must also have locks.

Signage

A CPR or equivalent sign must be placed in the area of the pool. Although it is not a requirement as of yet to be properly trained in resuscitation, it is highly suggested.

Selling or leasing your property

In some states (such as Queensland), should you be selling or planning to lease the house you must present a pool safety certificate. This can be issued by an authorised swimming pool inspector. As long as you follow the guidelines in this article you should be able to obtain a certificate without worry.

Registration

You must have your pool registered in most states.

Insurance

While it is not compulsory to have insurance for damages that occur in your pool, you should definitely consider having some. Even with posted warning signs and telling people swimming that they are doing so at their own risk, you are the one liable should anything happen. Because of this, you should make sure that your insurance reflects this.

Even when we do not consider what is 'legal' about owning a swimming pool, there are still many things that are 'right'. You don't want any accidents to occur in your pool, and having these safety measures in place should be done even if they weren't a legal requirement. Drowning is still a major cause of death for children, simply because they walk too close to a pool or don't have adequate supervision. If you are not sure if your pool is entirely safe, contact us and we should be able to point you in the right direction.