Boundary fences are always a problem to use as pool fencing, you have no control over the other side. The people across the road used the wall of their house as a pool barrier but the council wouldn't approve it unless they put bars on the window in that wall. (in case they had visitors with little kids that might open that window and jump 7' to the pavers below....or make a rope out of sheets and climb down and end up in the pool.)
I'm guessing the vines/shrubs which allow the fence to be climbed?
That's the one, plus the garden had sunk 20mm leaving a 120mm gap under the fence where it crosses the garden. I was forced to put up the screen and put pavers under.
Now they tell me 10mm is the max gap between boards in the screen or that's a hand hold. And yes they've seen the utube of the kid climbing the gate using monkey toes.
I hate that the Councils send a "do it or we'll throw the book at you" letter. It wouldn't hurt to use polite language, explain the problem, say what needs to be done and have a follow up inspection.
We got a nasty letter about a tree overhanging the footpath - if we hadn't fixed it within a week they'd deport us to Tasmania or something.
We are in the process of selling our house, and that means we need a Pool Safety Certificate - and that meant we had a surprising number of issues to resolve.
In practical terms, our pool fence was "pretty much compliant", but several things needed to be fixed - some 1980's vintage aluminium pool fence that used to comply no longer does, gaps between stair treads were greater than 100 mm so a child could theoretically get under our deck and then crawl into the pool enclosure, and so on.
The biggest issue related to the two boundary fences and the vegetation and build-up on the other side, which is beyond our control - we had to spend quite a few hours clearing the neighbours' side to create a suitable clear gap. It's an interesting legal situation - it's their obligation to maintain their garden, but it's our obligation to ensure that our pool is safe. If I ever build a backyard pool, I would avoid using any boundary fences as part of the enclosure for this reason.
It was all a bit of a pain - and cost about $1,000 to fix - but I'm not sure how I would live with myself if a kid climbed over from the neighbour's yard and drowned. (And of course, having a fully compliant pool fence doesn't provide a guarantee that a kid won't find their way in somehow.)
We installed a pool back in the '80s, and had a pool fence with 2 gates erected around it. The latch consisted of a round tapered arrow head on the gate which passed through a hole in the gate post, and there was a spring loaded plate which sprung down behind the arrow head to lock the gate. Opening the gate meant pulling up on a knob on top of the gate post-pretty much the standard latch at that time.
My 2 year old son could easily open the gate by bouncing up and down on the bottom of the gate frame. The spring closing hinges had enough vertical play when he did this, that the arrow head would momentarily push the spring loaded plate up enough for the gate to open.
We called the fence installers and they worked out that by fitting right angle brackets to the gate posts just under the gate frame, it would prevent enough vertical movement to open the gate.
We also called the local council to inform them of this dangerous problem, and they could not even be bothered to come and look at it!
Maybe I'm just being cynical, but there are 4 dams within eyesight of this office and my property boundary is a permanent creek. But I am still required to have a "compliant" pool fence. My children could both swim about the same time they could walk. I was taught the hard way. (Father/wharf/tossed in) Swimming lessons were also compulsory during my primary school years as well. Pool fences are only a deficient stop gap measure at best. Armco railings don't prevent car accidents. Learning to swim classes are the best prevention.
I hate that the Councils send a "do it or we'll throw the book at you" letter. It wouldn't hurt to use polite language, explain the problem, say what needs to be done and have a follow up inspection.
We got a nasty letter about a tree overhanging the footpath - if we hadn't fixed it within a week they'd deport us to Tasmania or something.
There seems to be something about councils that attracts failed desktop dictators. It's a nation wide thing.
We now have to book in hard rubbish (no more regular collections). You book in a date, pile your rubbish on the kerb, and then they show up some time in the next fortnight.
If there's anything they don't want, you get a letter threatening you with a fine if you don't remove it within 24 hours. Despite it taking them 2 weeks to show up...
Maybe I'm just being cynical, but there are 4 dams within eyesight of this office and my property boundary is a permanent creek. But I am still required to have a "compliant" pool fence. .
They probably do go overboard with the rules since toddlers should be closely supervised in the yard anyway. I think the main practical use of a pool fence is to keep little kids out of the pool for those few minutes when the parent is distracted.
Put a pool in myself 10 years ago. The application said I had to satisfy about a dozen items, fence, deep end from retaining wall / boundary distance, power, etc before I could proceed.
Inspections were necessary before excavation...they didn't come, too busy.
Inspections were necessary before filling...they didn't come, too busy.
Best thing though is to be pro-active about it and keep yourself up to date about the regulations and amendments. I did not know about the
10mm thing.
