Guidelines for pool owners and property agents - Department of ...
Guidelines for pool owners and property agents - Department of ...
Guidelines for pool owners and property agents - Department of ...
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<strong>Guidelines</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>pool</strong> <strong>owners</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>property</strong> <strong>agents</strong> Page 4 <strong>of</strong> 56<br />
1 Purpose<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> these guidelines are to assist <strong>pool</strong> <strong>owners</strong> (including bodies corporate) <strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>property</strong> <strong>agents</strong> to underst<strong>and</strong> their <strong>pool</strong> safety responsibilities under the Building Act 1975 (BA).<br />
Under section 258 <strong>of</strong> the BA the chief executive may make guidelines which help achieve<br />
compliance with the BA. It is recommended that the in<strong>for</strong>mation contained in these guidelines be<br />
used to assist <strong>pool</strong> <strong>owners</strong> (including bodies corporate) <strong>and</strong> <strong>property</strong> <strong>agents</strong> with <strong>pool</strong> safety<br />
compliance, however strict compliance with the guidelines is not required under the BA.<br />
2 Scope<br />
These guidelines cover a range <strong>of</strong> matters relating to Queensl<strong>and</strong>’s <strong>pool</strong> safety laws including:<br />
• the <strong>pool</strong> safety st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
• how the laws affect the <strong>pool</strong> owner<br />
• compliance considerations<br />
• <strong>pool</strong>s covered by the laws<br />
• neighbouring properties <strong>and</strong> dividing fences<br />
• the sale <strong>and</strong> lease compliance system<br />
• the role <strong>of</strong> <strong>property</strong> <strong>agents</strong><br />
• the <strong>pool</strong> safety register<br />
• the <strong>pool</strong> safety inspection system<br />
• minor repairs <strong>and</strong> maintenance<br />
• conduct <strong>of</strong> <strong>pool</strong> safety inspectors<br />
• the Pool Safety Council (PSC)<br />
• building certifiers<br />
• the role <strong>of</strong> local government<br />
• exemptions <strong>and</strong> variations<br />
• <strong>of</strong>fences <strong>and</strong> penalties<br />
• immersion reporting <strong>and</strong> inspections.<br />
Supporting fact sheets are also available on the <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> Housing <strong>and</strong> Public Works (the<br />
department) website at www.hpw.qld.gov.au/ PoolSafety <strong>and</strong> provide in<strong>for</strong>mation about the <strong>pool</strong><br />
safety laws <strong>for</strong> both the community <strong>and</strong> industry.<br />
3 Introduction<br />
3.1 Background<br />
Residential swimming <strong>pool</strong>s should be safe places <strong>for</strong> families to relax <strong>and</strong> have fun. In 1991,<br />
amendments to the Local Government Act <strong>and</strong> the St<strong>and</strong>ard Building By-laws required every<br />
swimming <strong>pool</strong>, regardless <strong>of</strong> when the <strong>pool</strong> was constructed, to have a complying fence around it<br />
unless the local council granted an exemption. Since the introduction <strong>of</strong> m<strong>and</strong>atory <strong>pool</strong> fencing<br />
the number <strong>of</strong> child drownings has halved.<br />
Building Codes Queensl<strong>and</strong>
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