News

Victoria toughens up on pool safety

New swimming pools in Victoria now require four-sided pool fencing when the Building Code of Australia 2010 comes into effect on May 1, 2010.

Presently, owners installing a swimming pool and spa are required to:

- have a suitable child safety barrier for all swimming pools and spas with a depth greater than 30 cm (300 mm)
- obtain a building permit for the construction of the pool and barrier
- complete the barrier within six months of building work commencing on the swimming pool or spa
- engage a registered building practitioner to carry out the work if the value of the work exceeds $5,000 (including labour and materials)

A new pool and the associated safety barriers are initially the responsibility of the relevant building surveyor overseeing the building work.

Thereafter, the ongoing maintenance and up-keep of pool and spa safety barriers is the responsibility of the owner and occupier of the property.

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  • Has the definition of what constitutes a swimming pool or spa changed, that is " a body of water intended for swimming or human bathing", ie de these new regs apply to ornamental ponds / water features over 300 mm deep? This is a very miportant deliniation, & should be precisely defined by the Building Control Commission

    dave bennett | 1 February 2010 at 10:42

  • Not sure what the new regulations mean - you've outlined the current ones, but what exactly is different? Does 4-sided mean fencing in front of fencing (for example, if a boundary fence has been used as a barrier, it now needs to be 'double fenced'?) Some more specific detail would be great. Thanks!

    georgia | 1 February 2010 at 10:43

  • More information can be found here: http://www.buildingcommission.com.au/www/html/2414-pools-and-spas.asp

    Stephanie McDonald | 1 February 2010 at 10:54

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