What is NCZ5 and what objects can be located within this zone
Your Swimming Pool Inspector will assess your Pool Enclosure using one of three Standards. In the example above, the vertical palings provide a smooth surface within NCZ 5 so this pool enclosure complied.
- If your pool enclosure has been assessed under AS1926.1-2012, which is the current Standard, a 900mm Non Climbable Zone NCZ5 exists at the top of your Boundary Fence and is measured out and in a downward arc.
- If there is any object located within this zone, whether it be a part of the fence, or near to the fence, that object needs to be removed or resolved.
- Many pool owners do not understand why this is the case and want to see the legislation. Well these are the Clauses – 2.2.1 and 2.2.4.
- Clause 2.2.1 states that it also applies to NCZ 1, 2 & 3 (these are located on or near a pool barrier, rather than a Boundary fence)
- In any case, the Clause states that “Within an NCZ, there shall be no handholds or footholds, objects or plants that can facilitate climbing.”
- There is no leeway here – nothing can be in the zone that can be used to climb down into the pool enclosure from the neighbouring property.
- Below are some images of the most common intrusions. Vegetation and trees, horizontal rails, decorative screens and lattice, objects such as washing lines, light fittings, ornaments, trellissing and vines, structures such as the pool filter enclosure, garden shed or shade structure, posts to shade sails and intersecting barriers that have a width that exceeds 50mm.
- If your assessor asks you to remove or resolve these intrusions then this is the reason. The Standard requires a smooth fence material in this zone.
- Vertical palings can be used to cover the horizontal rails, screens can be removed, trees will need to be trimmed back / removed (over 4 metres in height may require Council permission) and low structures need to be increased in height or removed.
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Hi there,
Can a smooth colorbond pergola post with no climbable footholds or ridges be placed within 900mm of the pool fence? (On the outside of the pool area) The installer tells me it can be because it cannot be climbed. It is over 1800mm in height. Thank you
Hi Nicola, It seems your installer has made a determination that a post is not climbable. It’s unclear what this is based upon given the existence of NCZ2&3. Under the current Standard a post can potentially be used to gain a foothold to scale a barrier. I would recommend that if you are considering installing a smooth support post within an NCZ, that you seek out a Certifier who will be willing to assess the post as Non Climbable. Given that the post is going to be problematic to move, we recommend you allow a 900mm clearance from the fencing, or install hard against the fence.
Hi there
I am confused about the 500mm exclusion zone from the bottom of the 1800mm boundary fence and the 900mm non climbable zone from the top.
Council has asked that we remove our japanese buxus hedge (300mm high) from the boundary fence to meet the standard, however it seems to contradict the 900mm NCZ standar which allows plants as long as its not in the 900mm arc.
Am i mis-reading the standard
In essence you need to ensure that both Zones are kept clear of objects that are either scalable or reduce barrier height.
I would suggest you follow the instructions issued by our Inspector and direct any further questions to them as they have seen your pool enclosure.
If you do not wish to deal with Council for a follow up inspection, you can engage any Certifier you choose.
However we can really only make reliable comment on your specific situation once our Inspector carried out an inspection to assess the objects in question, which may or may not be deemed a non-compliance.
Hi,
Just a quick question as I’m getting different answers from different people-confusing! I’m looking at putting a pergola on my deck. The deck surrounds the pool. The installer is saying I can have the post around 510mm from the boundary fence and that is deemed compliant. I’ve always thought a post had to satisfy the “900mm NCZ” rule. Can you please let me know your thoughts? Much appreciated.
Hi Jessica, NCZ5 requires a minimum 900mm clearance from the boundary fence.
I have just had Council out to inspect my fencing, which was only 1500mm high. I increased the height to over 1800mm by installing a ColorBond extension. Now Council says this is not compliant and are telling me I have to install boards over the extension. Why?
Robert, the upper 900mm quadrant, known as Non Climbable Zone 5 (NCZ5) must have no climbable points within. By attaching an extension like this, climbable points are created at the point of attachment. The reason this has happened is because your Inspector has failed to advise you how to avoid this, despite knowing that the chances are you will buy this product. So now you have a choice, either remove the expensive extensions and replace the boundary fencing altogether. Or remove the extension from the top and install at the base of the fencing to increase height from the ground up, or cover the extension with a smooth covering. It’s up to you which option to go with.
The details are very helpful and I now understand that by trying to install a ColorBond lattice extension section it will create more problems for me. Agreed to extend height from the ground up.
Hi, hoping you can clarify something for me.
We are building a patio structure next to our new pool. We have standard aluminium flat top fencing on 2 sides of the pool.
Can we have the posts of the pavilion positioned close to the alumminium fence? Centre of the posts will be approx 300-400mm from the fence line. The posts will be powdercoated 100x100mm square steel posts. We are in QLD.
Any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
I can quote the legislation in NSW; if you were to install the posts 300mm-400mm outside the pool fencing, that would be a failure to comply. There is a 900mm Non Climbable Zone to the outside of any pool fencing.
Therefore any posts must either be 900mm away or 300mm clear poolside, or installed as a part of the fencing – provided that the roof structure is not within the NCZ3 900mm Non Climbable Zone above the fencing.
I would suggest you seek on site professional advice before committing to building such a structure so that you can have confidence that the pool enclosure won’t be made non-compliant.
I have been searching everywhere for an answer, but can’t find one and hoping you can help. The 1.8m boundary fence specifies measurement from inside the pool side. (Our side) Our yard slopes up between the fence and the pool and I am wondering how far out from the fence does the 1.8m apply? 2m out from the fence, at pool level where the pool starts is 50cm higher than the base of the fence. So the fence is 1.8m at finished ground level at the border but the top of the fence is actually only 1.3m higher than the pool. I can’t find rules about retaining walls or slope/step change distance requirements. Finished ground level is so arbitrary and assumes the entire pool zone is flat.
Hi Matthew,
Clause 2.3.1 – the 500mm Exclusion Zone has been eluded to in the Standard but only recently clarified by Fair Trading that it does apply to a boundary fence.
If you have more than 500mm clearance out from the boundary you will be fine.
If not, then your Boundary Fence height may be too low.
Hi there, Great website. Best that we have found on this topic. May I please ask a question about shade sail poles? Is there a way that a shade sail pole can be butted up against a pool fence and still be compliant, particularly with NCZ2? Similarly, is there a way to attach a shade sail pole to a brick boundary wall and comply with NCZ5?
Thanks
Hi Damian,
The problem with a shade sail posts is they are round like a fireman’s pole = a perfect size to grip.
Our Certifier advises a couple of options when located near a pool barrier.
1) Make the post a part of the pool barrier.
2) Position the post more than 300mm away to the inside of the pool barrier.
3) Position the post more than 900mm away and to the outside of the pool barrier.
4) Box in the post so its squarer and position it hard against the outside or inside of the pool barrier.
For the boundary fencing, the only option is to box it in so it is squarer as well as being hard against the boundary fencing therefore not climbable.
Hi, we’re planning a pool along our back boundary fence but want planting there up to 4m for privacy purposes. Is any vegetation within the 900mm area considered not climbable like tiger grass? Also if I use a solid modular wall instead of vertical timber pailing, does anything change, for example, can I plant in the 300mm clear zone or what if we build the fence to 2m? Finally, are the rules the same if the neighbours have a pool on the other side of the boundary fence that is acting as a pool barrier for us? Thanks!
Cluase 2.2.1` states that no objects or plants can be in a Non Climbable Zone. There is no mention of certain plants being ok. So you would need 900mm clearance out from the boundary. We also recommend to keep plants out of the 500mm Exclusion Zone which starts at ground level. The 300mm Clear Zone applies to the old Standard; its 500mm for new pools. Any substantial material is fine as long as its complies with NCZ5 ie no climbable points. Even if you both have a pool, you might be following different standards though. For a new pook its the current Standard which at the moment is AS1926.1-2012.
Looking at the photo at the top of this article, there is an aluminium fence that meets the border fence. Assuming the aluminium fence is 1200mm and the border fence is 1800mm wouldn’t that make the top of the aluminium fence a climbable object (more than 10mm in width) within the 900mm arc of the top of the border fence? This would seem a very common solution for pool fences to meet boundary fences and we would like to do something similar but now I am questioning the legality of the solution.
Hi Matthew, The current Standard permits a 1200mm high pool fence to intersect with an 1800mm high boundary fence provided that the surface width of the pool fence does not exceed 50mm.
What great advice – I was able to do a walk through and make my own determination of the costs that might be involved if I went ahead and purchased the property.
Are you thinking of buying a property with a non compliant pool enclosure? In this article we talk about how you might go about costing the repair works.
https://poolcertify.com.au/new-property-purchase-planning-for-compliance/