Pool fencing Sydney

Sydney NSW pool fencing regulations – what you need to know

Pool fencing in NSW is a legal requirement under the Swimming Pools Act 1992 and Swimming Pools Regulation 2018, with the technical detail in Australian Standard AS 1926.1. These rules exist to stop young children reaching the water unsupervised. The key figures from the NSW Government's current guidance are:

• Height: at least 1.2 m measured from the finished ground level outside the fence; a boundary fence used as part of the barrier must be 1.8 m.
• Gaps: no more than 100 mm under the fence or between vertical bars; horizontal climbable bars at least 900 mm apart.
• Non-climbable zone: 900 mm arc from the top of the fence outside, plus 300 mm inside – no furniture, pot plants, barbecues, trees or footholds.
• Gates: open outward, self-close from any position and self-latch; never propped open. The latch release is positioned so a young child cannot operate it (AS 1926.1-2012: at least 1500 mm above ground or shielded).
• Doors and windows from the house can no longer form part of the barrier.
• Registration on the NSW Swimming Pool Register is compulsory, a CPR sign must be displayed, and a certificate of compliance (valid 3 years) is needed to sell or lease.

Which standard applies depends on when your pool was built (AS 1926-1986, AS 1926.1-2007 or AS 1926.1-2012) – but any new or altered barrier must meet the current 2012 standard. Even a correctly built fence can be non-compliant because of where it sits: retaining walls, garden beds and nearby objects can put footholds inside the non-climbable zone. That is why we assess the whole pool area on site before quoting.

Read the full NSW pool fencing guide

General information only – compliance is certified by your council or a registered swimming pool inspector, not by us.