Replace or change pool fencing and barriers

If you want to change or replace your existing compliant pool safety barrier, you must make sure the changes will allow the barrier to continue to comply with pool safety barrier standards.

You may need to make changes because of:

• a planned upgrade of your pool area
• a garden makeover
• extensions or additions to your home such as a granny flat or garage
• some other reason.

Before you start

You should drain your pool or spa before making any changes to the pool safety barrier. This ensures there is no risk of drowning while the pool safety barrier changes are being made.

You can also talk to a pool safety adviser about how to maintain safety during a barrier change.

The steps you need to take depend on the current certification status of your existing pool safety barrier.

If you have an existing compliance certificate

If your pool safety barrier has a compliance certificate, you must apply for a variation to make changes to your pool or pool safety barrier.

If the proposed changes continue to meet the requirements of the Modified Australian Standard, a new compliance certificate will be issued.

Read about pool fencing and barrier safety standards.

Apply for a variation of the compliance certificate

To apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the variation of compliance certificate form.

Variation of compliance certificate form DOCX (76.3 KB)
Variation of compliance certificate form PDF (1.1 MB)

Step 2. Submit your form to the Pool Fencing Unit.

Step 3. Organise an inspection of your pool safety barrier by a pool safety adviser by contacting the Pool Fencing Unit.

If the change to the pool safety barrier involves a boundary fence or dividing wall, you must also fill in and give a copy of the dividing pool or spa notice form to the owner of each property sharing the boundary fence or dividing wall.

Dividing pool or spa notice form DOCX (60.9 KB)
Dividing pool or spa notice form PDF (964.8 KB)

After you apply

A pool safety adviser will contact you to discuss the proposed changes to ensure your barrier will still meet the Modified Australian Standard. This may include a free advice inspection.

If you require a written report, this will be sent to you.

Once you have made the changes to the barrier, organise a free inspection of your pool safety barrier by contacting the Pool Fencing Unit.

If your pool safety barrier meets the Modified Australian Standard, you will be sent a new compliance certificate.

If not, you will be sent a written report following the inspection and will need to do extra work to bring it up to standard and organise another inspection by a pool safety adviser.

Once your pool safety barrier meets the standards and has been reinspected to confirm it is compliant, you will be sent a new compliance certificate.

If you have an existing acknowledgement notice

If there is an existing acknowledgement notice, you have 2 options if you want to make changes to the pool barrier. You can either:

• make the changes to your pool safety barrier, ensuring the barrier continues to meet the Community Safety Standard and self-declare that the changed safety barrier meets this standard
• upgrade you pool safety barrier to meet the Modified Australian Standard and apply for a compliance certificate.

Self-declare the barrier still meets the Community Safety Standard

Read the Community Safety Standard guidelines PDF (1.3 MB) before making any changes.

Make sure the changed pool safety barrier will meet the Community Safety Standard.

Find out how to make a new declaration of compliance and apply for an acknowledgement notice.

Upgrade the pool safety barrier to the Modified Australian Standard

When changing the pool safety barrier, you can choose to upgrade it to meet the Modified Australian Standard.

To find out how to meet the Modified Australian Standard, you can get a free advice inspection from a pool safety adviser.

When the work to change or upgrade the pool safety barrier is complete, you must get a compliance certificate.