The new pool safety laws introduced on 1 December 2010 apply to indoor pools as well as outdoor pools.

Prior to this date, indoor pools completely enclosed by the walls of a building were not required to have any form of isolation barrier.

Both indoor and outdoor pools need to have a compliant barrier. Indoor pools are ones that are completely enclosed by the walls of a building, or on a deck or rooftop where the pool can only be accessed from inside the building. Indoor pools may use compliant child safety doors to access the pool.

For indoor-outdoor pools, that is, where the pool extends partly into the building, the standards treat the pool as an outdoor pool and child resistant doors may not be used. However, impracticality exemptions may be available from the local council in cases where a fence can’t reasonably be installed.

Pool safety inspectors, building certifiers and other experts can provide further advice about the requirements in individual cases.