Gold Coast Pool safety laws, has the Queensland Government gone too far?
Ever since the latest arrival and administration of Queensland pool fencing regulations there has actually been an influx of pool fences needing to be built on the Gold Coast, which to be honest, is great for business for Absolut Custom Glass. However we continuously see disgruntled customers who simply don’t see why it is needed.
We recently had a customer get in touch with us grieving that:
“My backyard is completely enclosed with 2m high fence, I do not have young children, none of my neighbours have young children, I’ve never even had a child visit my backyard. Why do I not only need to put together a fence, but get a license and pay for an inspector!?”.
To be truthful, we empathize with him and could entirely empathise with his position. Unfortunately the pool safety laws where established to protect people – even more so children from drowning, and so there is little space for flexibility. We set up his fence for a great rate at his Currumbin, Gold Coast property and although he was annoyed that it had to happen, he was glad that he could get back to enjoying his pool and backyard. He agreed that it was required once we explained to him how significant the fee might be for neglecting to install the fence (can be $500 instantly, and $16,500 if it goes to court https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/qld-gets-toughest-pool-safety-laws-20090920-fwjc.html) and we also explained to him that if he didn’t install the pool fence he wouldn’t actually be able to legally sell his home. That is because since these pool safety laws came in, any house sold after December 2015 which has a pool will need a current Pool Safety Certificate as part of the sales checks conducted by the buyer and real estate agent.
This certificate will include checks about the pool’s integrity, any damage, and that a compliant pool fence has been installed.
A number of years ago there was an outcry from a variety of homeowners with children, not because of their pools, but due to blow up pools. That is because blow up pools, while budget friendly and fun, also have to be compliant.
These laws saw a Toowoomba family forced to empty their pool by the local council or face a hefty fine (https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/council-officers-sink-pool-plans-1000-application-/2473933/).
The laws will apply if you have a short-term or blow up pool which is higher than 30cm high and keeps more than 2000L of water. This effectively means that those clam shell plastic pools from your childhood will be safe, but anything larger may see you encountering a hefty fine if it is not fenced correctly. While it may be irritating we should remember that drowning is the primary cause of death in Queensland for kids aged 1 to 4 years.
https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/20260/RLS_NDR2017_ReportLR.pdf.
If you have a family, you should ensure that children are supervised in the water at all times. From a young age, children should learn how to swim and become accustomed to the water in a safe way – this means via a fenced pool either at the home, or at a local swimming centre, or better yet, make the most of the Gold Coast’s amazing coastlines and swim between the flags in the ocean.
So what do you think? Are these Queensland pool fencing laws and policies too much? Or is it a reasonable cost to pay to keep kids safe? Comment below with your thoughts, or if you would like to talk to Absolut Custom Glass about your pool fence scenario, don’t hesitate to contact us on 1300 937 902 or visit our contact page for more options.