Check the safety of your pool fence before contacting your local council for an inspection. This checklist applies to pools constructed after February 1991. For more detailed information and for pools constructed before February 1991, please visit www.poolfencing.qld.gov.au or contact your local council.

- Is there a pool fence separating
  your pool from your neighbour?

- Is there a pool fence preventing
  access from your house to your
  pool?

- Is the outside of your pool fence
  at least 1.2 metres high
  all the way around?

- Is the bottom of your pool fence 
  less than 10 centimetres off the
  ground all the way around?

- Are all vertical or near vertical 
  members less than 10 cm apart?

- Are all horizontal or near
  horizontal fence rails at least
  90 cm apart?

- Is the top of the pool fence at
  least 1.1 metres above the
  highest lower horizontal fence
  rail?

- Is your pool fence well maintained
  (ie. no holes, broken
  members, etc.)?

- Is your pool fence at least 1.2
  metres away from any object
  that would enable a small child to
  climb over the fence (eg. BBQs,
  trees, rocks, shrubs, deckchairs)

The State Government has strengthened the swimming pool fencing legislation to reduce
the incidence of toddlers drowning in outdoor swimming pools on residential land. Pool fencing has saved the lives of more than 70 toddlers in Queensland in the last 10 years.

The owner of the swimming pool is
responsible for installing and maintaining a pool fence and gates for a swimming pool.
However, if a tenant buys a portable pool that requires pool fencing, the owner of the
portable pool is the pool owner and they must ensure the pool is fenced.

Check any doors and windows that could allow a child to go from your house directly to the pool area. If the pool was built after 1991, there should be no such doors, unless your local council has granted an exemption.

Does your pool gate:
- Close by itself from any open position?
- Latch by itself when it closes?
- Open outwards, away from the pool?
- Never get propped open/tied back or
  otherwise be obstructed from
  automatically closing?
- Have a latch release which is at least
  1.5 metres above the ground or covered
  (so a small child cannot open the gate)?

- Are the walls of your pool at least
  1.2 metres high all the way around?
- Is the side of the pool free of bracing,
  indents, projections, filtration
  equipment, etc?
- Is any ladder and filtration equipment
  enclosed by a fence with a self-closing
  gate?

- For pools constructed on or after 1 October
  2003, do you have a sign detailing
  instructions on CPR (Cardiopulmonary
  Rescuscitation) clearly displayed near the
  pool? Contact the Queensland Ambulance
  Service on 1300 650 377 or your local
  pool supply store to purchase a CPR sign

- Do you have a sign warning people
that a pool is under construction
clearly displayed on the road frontage
of your property?
- Have you obtained certification for the
fence around your new pool prior to
filling it with water?

If you did not answer yes for every
question, your pool fence may be unsafe,
and you could be issued with an on-the spot
fine (from your local council) or a
penalty (imposed by the Court). On-the spot
fines and penalties for non-compliant
fences range from $75 to $525. The
maximum penalty a court can impose is
$12,375.

- get over or under the pool fence,
- get through the pool fence,
- get through the pool gate, or
- get through any doors or windows
  opening onto the pool.

Contact your local council if you are unsure
as to whether your pool fence complies, or
to arrange an inspection.

Local laws.
Your local council may have local laws with
additional requirements. If the local laws
are stronger than the requirements set by
the State legislation, you must also abide
by the local laws