Queensland is set to have the toughest home swimming pool standards in the Country as of November 30th.
Although the guidelines have been in place for five years, they have not been enforced. But time is up and the Government has warned there will be no longer a soft touch approach to those who breach the regulations.
Minister for Housing and Public Works, Leeanne Enoch has said that she “wants every Queenslander who has a pool in their backyard to make sure their pool fence is up to standard. Five years has been a fair amount of time for everyone to take action. Pool fences save lives and it is just too important not to act. Pool fences need to be inspected to make sure they comply before fines begin on December 1.”
For the first time in 20 years, thanks to the relentless campaign by Hannah’s Foundation and The Sunday Mail, in 2010 the former Bligh government overhauled pool laws.
Hannah’s Foundation was set-up to support other families who have lost a child to drowning, after Katherine and Andrew Plint lost their daughter Hannah 8 years ago, when she drowned in the family pool.
Since 2011, Hannah’s Foundation have conducted more than 300 pool inspections, with a staggering 95 per cent of them failing the initial inspection. With the most common reasons for a homeowner to fail a pool safety inspection being climbable objects near left near the fence, gaps under the fence, lack of CPR signage and climbable branches and trees.
Penalties for non-compliant pool fencing will remain as they are, ranging from a $500 on the spot fine, to a $16,500 penalty imposed by the courts.
To ensure your pool is compliant:
- get advice from a pool safety inspector about how to make your pool comply, or
- contract a pool safety inspector to do a formal inspection with a view to getting a certificate.
If you are needing recommendations on pool safety inspectors, or any other licensed building inspectors or tradespeople, give the team at Hicks Real Estate a call today on: 07 3355 6845.
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Hicks Real Estate Team
Hicks Real Estate is a Brisbane based, full-service real estate agency supporting buyers and sell as well as renters and property investors. With almost 20 years experience in the local market, we are the real estate experts you can rely upon.
