With Summer now merely a week away, heat waves already sending temperatures well into the mid 30’s and those afternoons growing longer by the day, the tradition of spending hours by the pool is already in full swing. But as a homeowner, or even if you’re looking to buy a house with a pool, are you fully aware of your legal obligations when it comes to owning a pool?
More often that not, homeowners are not fully aware of their obligations and the regulations they must ensure their pool meets.
So our property lawyers have put together a short summary of the pool safety laws in Queensland. If you own a house with a pool, or intend on purchasing one, it’s worth brushing up on your knowledge of these laws to avoid any possible fines.
The most crucial detail affecting home owners right now is that the deadline to ensure your pool meets these laws and regulations is almost up. From 1 December 2015, all pools in Queensland must meet current safety standards, or homeowners can face large financial penalties.
The current pool safety laws in Queensland came into force in 2010 and came with a five year grace period to allow homeowners to carry out the necessary works on their pool to ensure they met these new safety standards. This grace period expires on 30 November 2015, meaning that the State Government can conduct spot checks on pools from 1 December and issue on the spot fines to pool owners.
If a pool is inspected and does not meet the key safety requirements, the homeowner can face an on the spot fine of $796,95 in the first instance, with fines and further financial penalties increasing up to a maximum of $18,785.25. With fines like this, it’s not something to be taken lightly and not something as a homeowner you would like to happen to you.
Registration of the pool on the Pool Safety Register:
In Queensland, all pools and spas must be registered on the Pool Safety Register. The register includes a record of all pools in Queensland, whether a pool safety certificate has been issued and a list of all licensed pool safety inspectors in the state.
As a homeowner you have a legal obligation to register your pool on the Pool Safety Register and fail to do so can result in a fine of $2,356.00 being imposed.
Pool Safety Requirements:
All pools in Queensland must be fenced and there are specific requirements for this fencing that must be met.
Some general requirements when it comes to pool fencing are that the fencing height is at least 1200mm from bottom to top, with no vegetation or branches overhanging it that could be used by a child to climb over it.
There must also be no objects within close proximity to the pool that a child could use to climb over the fence.
Where a window opens into the enclosed pool area, fixed security screens must be in place on these windows.