Fact Sheet Swimming Pool Safety - Ipswich City Council

fact sheet
IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL
Swimming Pool Safety
Ipswich residents need to be aware of the possible
legislative requirements when purchasing a new
pool from department/disposal stores or a pool
supplier.
Nothing is more frustrating than buying what
you hope is a great family pool, then finding out
you need to spend hundreds more dollars on a
properly certified fence. You will also need to
obtain building approval (which can be sought via a
Private Certifier) before you can use your pool.
Can your pool be filled to over 300mm depth?
Does it hold over 2,000 litres of water?
Does it have a pool filter attached?
If you answered yes to ANY of the above
questions, your pool is considered to be a
Regulated Pool under State Government Law and
must have:
• Building Approval – application through
Local Council
• A Certified Pool Fence/Barrier
• A Pool Safety Certificate
• Registration on the Pool Register at the
Queensland State Government Pool Safety
Council website.
Failure to comply with the above requirements
can result in an on-the-spot fine of $770. If an
Enforcement Notice has been issued by a Council
Officer to you, the fine is $2,200.
For further information contact
Ipswich City Council
Phone: 1300 IPSWICH or (07) 3810 6666
www.ipswich.qld.gov.au

fact sheet
HOME CHECKLIST FOR YOUR
SWIMMING POOL AREA
Signage
Do you have a Resuscitation Sign inside the
pool area?
Does the sign have instructions on how to
resuscitate children?
Gate(s)
Does the gate open away from the pool area?
Is the ‘gate latch’ 1,500mm from the ground? If
not, is the latch protected by a 150mm barrier?
When closed, is the gate secure and does not
open if pulled or jumped on?
Is there a clear arc of operation of the gate?
Does the gate close and lock from any open
position?
Are the hinges 900mm apart or non-climbable?
Is the gap between the bars and between
the gate and the fence support post less
than 100mm?
Is the gap between the gate and the ground
less than 100mm?
Do you ensure you NEVER prop open the gate
and clear any nearby objects that can be used
to prop open the gate?
Fence
Is your fence a minimum of 1,200mm in height?
Is there a ‘non-climbable zone’ of 900mm on all
panels of the fence and gate?
Are there ‘climbable’ objects/trees within
900mm of the fence/gate?
Are the fence panels and support posts sturdy?
If there are gaps in the fence panels of
over 10mm, have you ensured there are no
‘climbable’ objects inside the pool area within
300mm of the fence?
A ‘climbable’ object is anything that can either be
climbed by a child, and/or supports a child’s weight.
Examples include chairs, cement blocks, bricks,
stones, wire mesh, lattice, boxes, eskys, BBQ’s, some
trees, taps, power points – anything with a width
that exceeds 10mm.
The above are some basic requirements of
Queensland’s pool safety standards. For the
sake of your children and family, please observe
them closely!
For further information contact
Ipswich City Council
Phone: 1300 IPSWICH or (07) 3810 6666
www.ipswich.qld.gov.au