Victorians who casually blow up an inflatable pool in their backyard this summer may not realise they are breaking the law by not putting a fence around it.
Many pools sold at major retailers, including blow-up pools that cost as little as $25, require a safety barrier under Victorian laws.
The state government introduced pool and spa safety legislation in 2019 to ensure proper fencing around inground and above ground pools and spas.
It is unbelievable in Victoria. I think a grown adult can work out if a pool is dangerous or not and what about pets who use these pools to cool down over summer? We are over policed and over controlled. Stick it up your jumper.
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has confirmed the legislation extends to relocatable, temporary and inflatable pools.
Inflatable or relocatable pools that can contain 30 centimetres of water or more need to have an adequate safety barrier, according to the regulations outlined on the Victorian Building Authority website.
However, small wading pools that hold less than 30 centimetres of water, don’t require a barrier, the authority says.
“Pool and spa barriers, which may include boundary fences, must be maintained by the pool owner at all times in between inspections to ensure they are safe,” according to Deputy State Building Surveyor Jo van Loon.
The VBA is responsible for registering pool inspectors and educating them on the regulations, while individual councils are responsible for enforcing regulations.
Swimming pools, spas and safety barriers must comply with requirements including being constructed by a registered builder, or owner-builder, having self-latching and self-closing pool gates, and being at least 1.2 metres high.
Pools – including inflatable pools – also need to be registered if they are in place for more than three days, and all safety barriers have to be inspected to check if they comply.
If they don’t comply and are found to have breached the standards, people with unregistered pools risk being fined as much as $1800 depending on what council area they live in.