Got a Spa pool?

NEW POOL SAFETY RULES CHANGE FENCING REQUIREMENTS
NOTE: The information presented in this article may be outdated. Please refer to this page for the most current information. Thank you!
The regulations around small heated pools, such as spa pools or hot tubs changed.

Parliament passed the Building (Pools) Amendment Bill, and repealed the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987 including new pool safety provisions from the Building Act 2004.
Spa's and hot tubs no longer need to be fenced, providing they meet the following criteria:

• Have an area of 5m2 or less and designed for therapeutic or recreational use
• A suitable cover
• The cover must restrict the entry of children when covered and be able to withstand a reasonably foreseeable load
• The cover must be able to be readily returned to the closed position and have signage on the cover indicating its child safety features
• Every wall of the pool must be higher 760mm from the ground and they must be difficult to climb
• The tap or hose used to fill the pool must be fitted with a backflow preventer.  These inexpensive devices stop water from being sucked back into the main water supply.