Current responsibilities of local governments

Local governments can advise pool owners on whether their pool fence is compliant. To do this, the pool owner will need to follow these steps:

• request advice in writing
• comply with any advice given by the local government inspectors concerning work necessary to bring your fence up to the required standard
• keep a record of the information notice provided by the local government.

On-the-spot fines and penalties

The Building Amendment Act 2003 ( 470 KB) and the amendment to the State Penalties Enforcement Regulation 2000 ( 784 KB) enable local governments to issue on-the-spot fines and take further action through the courts to impose penalties.

Local governments who propose to issue infringement notices and on-the-spot fines must also register their details with the State Penalties Enforcement Registry. Contact the Department of Justice and Attorney-General further information.

Queensland’s swimming pool safety laws have undergone the most comprehensive review in nearly 20 years. An expert committee was established in January 2009 and its report sets out 23 recommendations for improving Queensland’s swimming pool safety laws. The report ( 1.2 MB) was released on 26 April 2009 for a six-week public consultation period, concluding on 5 June.

Feedback results indicated strong public support for most of the committee’s recommendations. A report on the findings will be available for download in the near future. The Queensland Government will now implement a two-staged improvement strategy aimed at reducing the number of immersion injuries and drownings of young children in Queensland pools.