Queensland's regulator says a pool fence must stand at least 1200 mmSource: QBCC: Pool fences from finished ground, leave a gap underneath of no more than 100 mmSource: QBCC: Pool fences, keep a 900 mmSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones non-climbable zone clear, and have a gate that self-closes and self-latches. Other states work from their own standards, and in NSW, Victoria and WA an older pool can be held to the rules of the year it was built. Your inspector or council confirms which.
Most people meet these rules the hard way, a fortnight before settlement, when an inspector points at a pot plant. They are not complicated. They are specific, and they are checked with a tape measure rather than by eye.
What has to be true of the fence itself?
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission publishes the measurements in the plainest form. They are the rules in Queensland, and a useful picture of what an inspector looks for anywhere, but check your own state's standard before you build to them:
- Height: at least 1200 mmSource: QBCC: Pool fences, measured from finished ground level to the top of the fence, at every point along the run.
- Gap at the bottom: no more than 100 mmSource: QBCC: Pool fences from the ground to the bottom of the barrier.
- Rails: at least one gap of 900 mm or moreSource: QBCC: Pool fences between horizontal rails, so the rails cannot be used as a ladder.
- Uprights: where the rails are far enough apart, vertical members can sit up to 100 mm apartSource: QBCC: Pool fences.
- Close-set rails: if the outer rails are closer than that, the options are gaps of 10 mm or less, or a fence over 1800 mmSource: QBCC: Pool fences.
- Glass panels: ledges on the outside face are 10 mm or lessSource: QBCC: Pool fences, and the glass must show no sign of fracture.
- Using the neighbour's fence: a dividing fence can do the job at the right height, with nothing climbable within 300 mm on the insideSource: QBCC: Pool fences.
See this chart as a table
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tall fence option, with the zone inside | at least 1800 mm | QBCC: Non-climbable zones |
| Outside gate latch, above the ground | at least 1500 mm | QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges |
| Fence height, minimum | at least 1200 mm | QBCC: Pool fences |
| Non-climbable zone | 900 mm | QBCC: Non-climbable zones |
| Gap under the fence, maximum | no more than 100 mm | QBCC: Pool fences |
What has to be true of the gate?
Gates are where barriers fail, because a gate is the only part that moves. In Queensland:
- It must not open towards the poolSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges, so a child leaning on it pushes it shut rather than open.
- It must self-close and self-latch from any open positionSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges, with no hand on it, including from resting against the latch.
- The outside release handle sits at least 1500 mmSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges. QBCC's full wording also sets a height above the top of the highest lower horizontal member, so measure both before you buy hardware.
- A latch released from the inside sits at least 150 mm below the top of the gateSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges.
- Hinges are at least 900 mm apartSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges, or the lower one gets a safety cap.
That inside latch also has to be behind a 450 mm-radius shieldSource: QBCC: Gates, latches and hinges, with no gaps big enough for small fingers to reach through.
What is the non-climbable zone?
It is the empty space that makes the height mean anything. Stand a garden bench against the fence and a toddler has a step halfway up it. Queensland requires a continuous 900 mmSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones zone. That means 900 mm outside a fence under 1800 mm highSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones, and 300 mm inside the fenceSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones.
The regulator's own list of things to look for is mundane and exactly right: BBQs, furniture, pot plants, trees and garden bedsSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones. The stack of pavers left after a renovation and the wheelie bin parked in the side passage belong on it too.
Where the space outside does not exist, as in a townhouse with a boundary right at the pool, the alternative is a fence of at least 1800 mmSource: QBCC: Non-climbable zones with the zone kept clear on the inside instead.
Which standard is my barrier judged against?
This is the question that matters most for an older pool, and the answer is different in every state. There is no single national rule. Several states let a barrier built years ago be assessed against the standard that applied then, until the barrier is altered. Others apply one standard to every pool.
| State | Which standard applies | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 3 different standards, by construction dateSource: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026). AS 1926-1986 may apply to pools built before 30 August 2008Source: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026), AS 1926.1-2007 may apply to pools built from 1 September 2008 to 30 April 2013Source: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026), and newer pools are built to AS 1926.1-2012Source: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026). | Modify or alter the barrier and the current standard appliesSource: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026). |
| VIC | the rules in force when the pool was builtSource: Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 9A, Authorised Version 031 (1 September 2026). Pools from before 8 April 1991Source: Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 9A, Authorised Version 031 (1 September 2026) have their own set of requirements. | Building work on the barrier can bring in the later requirements. The council records the standard on the register. |
| QLD | one standard for every pool (MP 3.4)Source: Queensland Government: Pool safety laws. | Nothing: the build year does not matter. |
| WA | Generally AS 1926.1-2012 and AS 1926.2-2007Source: WA Building and Energy: Swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements (updated 7 May 2026). Older pools can use AS 1926.1-1993 (pools installed before 1 May 2016)Source: WA Building and Energy: Swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements (updated 7 May 2026) instead, except for its child-resistant door provisions. | Child-resistant doors are typically only allowed for outdoor pools approved or installed before 5 November 2001Source: WA Building and Energy: Swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements (updated 7 May 2026). |
| SA | Newer pools must meet the rules in place when the pool or its barrier was approvedSource: Law Handbook, Legal Services Commission of South Australia: Swimming pool fences and safety (last revised 18 March 2021). Older pools have their own ministerial standard. | Selling: pools built before 1 July 1993 must be made compliant before the property is soldSource: Law Handbook, Legal Services Commission of South Australia: Swimming pool fences and safety (last revised 18 March 2021). |
| ACT | The standard is set by whether the pool was built before 1 May 2023Source: Building (General) Regulation 2008 (ACT), republication 51, effective 23 February 2026. | Substantial alteration brings in the newer rule. A transitional rule runs until 30 April 2028Source: Building (General) Regulation 2008 (ACT), republication 51, effective 23 February 2026. |
| NT | A new pool must be certified against the modified Australian StandardSource: Swimming Pool Safety Act 2004 (NT), as in force at 13 September 2025. | Selling or leasing: the pool needs a certificate or notice before the transferSource: Swimming Pool Safety Act 2004 (NT), as in force at 13 September 2025 for a sale, and must be certified or notified firstSource: Swimming Pool Safety Act 2004 (NT), as in force at 13 September 2025 for a tenancy. |
| TAS | We could not reach an official Tasmanian page to confirm this, so we have not stated it. | Ask your council's permit authority before you rely on anything here. |
The South Australian description comes from the state's Legal Services Commission and was last revised in 2021, so treat it as a starting point. Whatever state you are in, check with your council or state regulator which standard your pool is held to before you book repairs or buy a fence. An inspector will measure to that standard, not to the figures on this page.
Who checks it, and what do you end up holding?
| State | Who checks it | What you end up holding |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Inspected by local councils and registered pool inspectors (certifiers)Source: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026) | A certificate of compliance, valid 3 yearsSource: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026), plus registration |
| VIC | A registered pool and spa inspector | A barrier compliance certificate, lodged every 4 yearsSource: Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 9A, Authorised Version 031 (1 September 2026) |
| QLD | A licensed pool safety inspector | A pool safety certificate, valid 2 yearsSource: QBCC: Buy, sell or lease a property with a pool for a non-shared pool |
| WA | Your local government | No owner-held certificate: councils inspect at least every 4 yearsSource: WA Building and Energy: Swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements (updated 7 May 2026) |
Do spas and blow-up pools need a fence?
Yes, past a certain depth, and the depth is lower than people expect. In New South Wales the law covers anything deeper than 30 cmSource: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026), and the same fencing rules as permanent poolsSource: NSW Government: Owning a pool or spa (updated 16 March 2026). Victoria's rules reach pools and spas holding more than 300 mm of waterSource: Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 9A, Authorised Version 031 (1 September 2026), relocatable ones included. In WA the rule covers pools with more than 30 cmSource: WA Building and Energy: Swimming pool and spa safety barrier requirements (updated 7 May 2026) of water, spas and portable pools included. The ACT's rules cover a pool that can be filled to 300 mm or moreSource: Building Act 2004 (ACT), republication 55, effective 10 July 2026, demountable pools and spas included.
Victoria also puts a deadline on temporary pools. Leave a relocatable pool up long enough to trigger the rule and the landowner has to register it on or before the 4th daySource: Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), Part 9A, Authorised Version 031 (1 September 2026). That catches the summer purchase that never quite gets packed away.
Where people actually get caught
Rarely on height. Far more often on the gap under the fence after the garden settles, on a self-closing hinge that lost its spring two summers ago, and on the barbecue that got wheeled to the fence line for a party and stayed there. None of the three costs much to fix, and any one of them can fail an inspection.
If you want the list in the order an inspector works through it, read what fails a pool inspection. If a sale or a lease brought you here, the compliance checker gives you your state's version with the deadlines attached.