Pool fencing safety across Moreton Bay is failing due to DIY jobs, maintenance problems and inflatables.
As the year warms up, Moreton Bay City Council released data that reveals a sense of greater complacency and lack of safety knowledge among pool owners.
From 2021-25, council investigated 274 complaints; two-thirds were non-compliant (with many owners having to fix fencing or remove inflatable and above-ground pools).
Since 2018, council says, there were 67 cases of children younger than 5 years old found in the water (with four deaths) due to neglected fences or failure to enforce non-climbable zones with half of all cases due to a lack of supervision.
Mayor Peter Flannery says the statistics are a sobering reminder that residents need check if their pools, spas and portable waders are compliant.
“While residents generally believe they have done the right thing, the unfortunate reality is their pool may not comply with safety laws,” he explains.
“There are rules around the required height and strength of fencing, self-latching requirements for gates and the need to ensure non-climbable zones.”
POOL SAFETY CHECKS
Flannery says most of the failures to maintain pools happen years after installation when gardens and trees grow and encroach on non-climbable zones, fencing deteriorates or the original gate is replaced with a DIY gate.
“With this in mind, we are reminding residents to take the time to properly check their pools to ensure compliance.”
Of 274 complaints investigated by council, it says, 52 involved swimming pools with no fencing; this included 34 properties with an inflatable or temporary pool.
“Many inflatable and portable pools need building approval and fencing that meets the pool barriers safety standard, which many people don’t realise,” Flannery says.
“All swimming pools and spas, including blow-up ones, that can be filled with water to a depth of more than 300 millimetres need a building permit and a complying pool barrier (safety fencing),” he explains.
“We’ve had instances where residents bought a portable pool for Christmas but end up pulling it down because the cost of fencing it is more than the pool or they get an inflatable pool or spa and don’t realise they need to fence it.”
Portable wading pools, however, don’t trigger the requirement for a compliant barrier as long as they have a maximum depth of 30cm, have a volume of no more than 2000 litres and have no filtration system.
Flannery also points out that fencing is not enough on its own to prevent tragedy.
“Active and constant adult supervision is critical to prevent drownings and near drownings. It only takes a matter of seconds and a small amount of water for a child to drown,” he said.
QBCC POOL COMPLIANCE
Council also points out that other regulations exist that owners and tenants must abide by.
Building and maintaining a pool requires registration with the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC); pool gates must be closed and the area kept clear of objects that children can use to enter the water.
QBCC chief executive officer Angelo Lambrinos says pool safety certificates are important in this regard.
“You need a pool safety certificate if you are selling, buying or leasing a property with a pool but for peace of mind, owners and tenants can engage a QBCC-licensed safety inspector to ensure their pool meets safety standards,” he says.
Safety certificates are valid for one year (shared pools) or two years (non-shared).
Lambrinos says pool owners wanting to replace a pool barrier need to use a QBCC-licensed safety inspector to check the barrier.
“The pool safety inspector will detail what needs to be done to ensure the barrier is compliant and provide certainty that pool safety standards are met.”
274 COMPLAINTS BROKEN DOWN
- 131 owners took action to ensure compliance.
- 125 were found to be compliant.
- Two were given ‘show cause’ notice.
- Six were told to upgrade.
- 10 complaints are still being investigated.
CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT:
- 52 pools had no fencing, with 34 of these inflatable or temporary.
- 44 had gaps in the fencing larger than allowed.
- 26 had objects within the non-climbable zone while another 20 had fences not of the required height.
- Nine had gates that weren’t self-closing while another nine had gates that weren’t self-latching.
- Three had a door or window that had direct access from the home.
For more details about pool regulations, click here to visit the QBCC website.
Council’s website also has more information; click here to visit their site.
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