AS 1926: swimming pool safety standard
AS 1926 is the Australian Standard for swimming pool safety in three parts: barriers (.1), barrier location (.2), water recirculation (.3). NCC calls up the first two.
Ask Chalkline about this →AS 1926 is the three-part Australian Standard for swimming pool safety, governing the safety barriers a pool must be fenced with, where those barriers must sit, and the water-recirculation system that runs the pool (verified 2026-05-28, Standards Australia: AS 1926.1:2024 spotlight).
The three parts
| Part | Coverage |
|---|---|
| AS 1926.1:2024 | Safety barriers for swimming pools (fence height, gap dimensions, non-climbable zone, gates, latches) |
| AS 1926.2:2007 (R2017) | Location of safety barriers (setbacks from climbable objects, where boundary fencing can form part of the barrier) |
| AS 1926.3:2010 (R2017) | Water recirculation systems (drainage, suction-outlet covers, filtration, the entrapment-prevention requirements that came in after backyard-pool drownings) |
Part 1 is the headline standard most builders interact with. Part 2 sits alongside it for site-specific setbacks. Part 3 is the plumbing-and-equipment side that the pool installer handles.
How the NCC calls AS 1926 up
NCC 2022 references AS 1926 for the deemed-to-satisfy design and construction of swimming pool barriers across Class 1 (residential dwellings, where the pool is the Class 10b structure) and Class 2 to 9 (multi-residential and commercial) (verified 2026-05-28, NCC Volume Two Part H7).
The trigger threshold is water depth more than 300 mm: a pool capable of holding more than 300 mm of water on a residential property must be barriered to AS 1926. That depth captures most fixed pools, spa pools and a lot of inflatable / portable backyard pools.
The 2024 revision of Part 1
AS 1926.1:2024 is the first major revision of Part 1 since 2012 (verified 2026-05-28). The 2024 edition refines the non-climbable-zone (NCZ) guidance and updates the gate / latch / hinge testing requirements. NCC adoption of the 2024 edition affects new pools approved after 1 May 2026, depending on how each state and territory adopts the call-up (verified 2026-05-28). Until a state adopts, the prior edition still applies; check the state’s pool-safety regulator before specifying.
State variation
Pool safety is regulated at the state level, with each jurisdiction layering its own Act and inspection regime on top of the AS 1926 call-up:
- NSW: Swimming Pools Act 1992 + Swimming Pools Regulation 2018; pool registration and compliance certificate before sale or lease.
- VIC: Building Act 1993 + Building Regulations 2018 Division 8.5; mandatory registration and certificate of barrier compliance.
- QLD: Building Act 1975 + Pool Safety Standard (QDC MP 3.4); pool safety inspector certification.
- SA / WA / TAS / NT / ACT: state-specific pool safety regulations that all call AS 1926.1 + .2.
The NCC + AS 1926 sets the technical baseline. The state Act sets the inspection and certification process.
For a builder
- Confirm which edition applies to your project. Each state adopts the 2024 edition on its own timeline; an early-2026 approval may still be assessed against the 2012 edition.
- Engage a pool safety inspector early. Once the pool is in, the barrier has to pass before water can go in. Pre-empt the inspection with a walk-through against the AS 1926.1 checklist while the gate hardware is still easy to adjust.
- Read Parts 1 and 2 together. Where the barrier sits (Part 2) and what the barrier is (Part 1) interact, especially around boundary fences and where a climbable object sits inside the NCZ.
Related
See also
Last updated: 2026-05-28. Verified: 2026-05-28. Quarterly review for currency.