Beware of Pool Fence Safety Certificates being issued on unlawful pool fences

You’ve just purchased your new house and all appears to be proceeding smoothly. You’re building inspection report did not highlight an array of disastrous issues and the pest inspectors report confirmed that your house was free from termite attack. Even the valuer is impressed with your negotiating skills and your final purchase price. If the house you are purchasing has a swimming pool there will however be one more hurdle to cross. The vendor, in accordance with new pool fencing laws, should provide you with a pool fencing safety certificate. The problem is the pool fence safety certificates are often not worth the paper they are written on.

Buyers – Beware of how the new pool safety laws could cost you.

BEWARE:  Under the new Pool Safety Laws, sellers of properties with a pool must provide a buyer with a swimming pool safety certificate prior to settlement.  Alternatively , the seller may sign a Form 36 - Notice of no pool safety certificate. We have noticed that many sellers are choosing to sign this form, which means that the buyer has 90 days to obtain the certificate from a licensed pool safety inspector after settlement.  The buyer is then liable for any costs associated with achieving compliance and in a lot of cases this is a very costly exercise.  The seller must issue the buyer with Form 36 - Notice of no pool safety certificate prior to entering into a contract.   If you receive this form ...

New Pool Safety Laws

A new item in the Reference Schedule for Pool Safety has been included with a series of questions about the property.  The questions and details of Pool Safety Inspection Date (if applicable) will need to be completed at the time of filling out the contract. If there is no pool on the land, then only Question 1 needs to be completed.  Regulated pools include in-ground, above ground and portable pools.  Agents should check with the seller at the time of listing the property regarding the existence of any pools (including those that might belong to any occupiers of the land). Sellers should be encouraged to get advice about the Pool Safety laws at the time of listing. ...

Pool Fence Row

Pool Safety Certificates

The Queensland Department of Infrastructure and Planning has advised it will be running state-wide road shows about the new pool safety laws in late November and early December 2010. Details of dates and locations will be published soon. The road shows are for key stakeholders, including Local Government officers, pool safety inspectors, building certifiers, pool builders, building designers, architects, real estate agents, property managers and pool owners.

New Pool Safety Laws to start December 1

Media Release by Minister for Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe 20/10/2010 The second and final stage of Queensland's tough new swimming pool safety laws will come into effect on 1 December 2010, Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe announced today. Mr Hinchliffe said the new laws, which include mandatory pool safety certificates and inspections, would be in place in time for the first day of summer. He said the laws would help save lives and make Queensland pools even safer. "While supervision will always be the first level of protection for young children, coronial inquiry after coronial inquiry shows that supervision by itself is ...

Parliament passes new pool fencing laws

By Kerrin Binnie If a house is sold in Qld, the owner will now have 90 days from settlement to get a compliance certificate. (ABC TV News - file image) All pool fences will have to be up to scratch within five years under legislation passed by Queensland Parliament. The bill makes it mandatory ...

Review of Queensland’s swimming pool safety laws

Download and read the Swimming pool safety review committee report to the Queensland Government. http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/poolfencing/pool-safety-report.pdf

Pool owners must register their pool under new pool safety legislation

Pool owners will be given six months from the introduction of the new law (1 December 2010) to have their pool on the electronic pool register.  Further details on how to register your swimming pool and the registration deadline will be posted here once the new pool safety legislation comes into effect on 1 December 2010.

Changes to Pool Fence Laws requires owners obtain Pool Safety Compliance Certificates

REVISED pool-fencing laws will be in place by December 1 and apply immediately to all new residential pools, Premier Anna Bligh said. New rules for existing pools will be introduced in December 2010, with owners to be given up to five years to become compliant unless the property is rented or sold. Premier Bligh said the laws include new rules on safety and fencing as well as a stepped-up inspection regime. Queensland has the highest toddler drowning rate in Australia and The Sunday Mail's Safe Summer campaign - in conjunction with pool safety group Hannah's Foundation - lobbied for the state's 18-year-old pool safety rules to be improved. The new rules will be the nation's toughest pool safety legislation. Premier ...