Pool barriers and access
Whether you own or rent a property with a pool, you must make sure it has a barrier that meets the standards in the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016, to stop any unsupervised young children entering the pool or area around it.
Overview
Your barrier must either:
- surround the pool and part (or all) of the area around it
- cover the pool itself (for small heated pools like a spa or hot tub).
You can't have anything on the outside of the barrier that a child could use to climb over it.
Barrier requirements
Pool barriers must comply with Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016 and the Building code F9, restricting access to residential pools. This building code outlines rules for:
- construction of pool barriers a
- construction and operation of doors, gates and windows providing access to a pool area.
The fenced area around your pool can include only the immediate pool area, not the whole outdoor living space. Your fenced area can't be part of how you access other parts of your property.
Activities that may be carried out in the enclosed area are those that involve the pool or are in relation to it. For example, you can have a barbecue and outdoor furniture in the immediate pool area, but not a clothesline or vegetable garden.
See the Building code F9, restricting access to residential pools for all specifications (including materials, heights, angles and other measurements) for:
- pool barriers
- pool barriers on a property boundary
- pool walls as barriers
- building walls as barriers
- gates and doors
- door alarms
- balconies projecting into pool areas.
Keeping your pool and pool area safe
Even when your pool has a barrier that complies with the Act, you need to make sure:
- gates or doors are not propped open or kept from latching
- there's nothing close to the pool barrier children could use for climbing, for example:
- bikes
- trikes
- flowerpots
- deck chairs
- firewood
- boxes
- wheelbarrows.
For more information visit www.building.govt.nz.