AS 1926.1:2024 in Victoria: what changed, and which pools it covers

In short: AS 1926.1:2024 is the newest edition of the Australian Standard for pool safety barriers. In Victoria it applies to new pool barrier work from 1 May 2026, when the National Construction Code 2025 took effect here. It doesn’t reach back to existing pools. An existing barrier stays on the standard that applied when the pool was built, unless later building work on the barrier brings it under newer rules.

Which part of this is for you

• You already own a pool. The 2024 edition doesn’t change what your next inspection checks. Your council keeps a record of which standard your pool is held to, and your inspector works to that. Skip to existing pools.
• You’re building a new pool, or putting in a new barrier. Your designer, builder and building surveyor will generally be working to the 2024 edition. See new pool builds.
• You’re replacing all or part of your pool fence. The new work may come under newer rules. See when a newer standard kicks in.
• You’re buying or selling a house with a pool. The standard is the one on the council register, not the newest one. Our guides for buyers and sellers cover the paperwork.

Not sure which standard your pool is on? Call us on 0402 860 499 or send us your details and we’ll help you work it out.

What AS 1926.1:2024 is, and when it arrived

AS 1926.1 is the Australian Standard that sets out how a pool safety barrier is built: heights, gaps, gates, latches and the non-climbable zone (the space around the fence that has to stay clear of anything a child could climb). Standards Australia published the 2024 edition on 23 August 2024. It replaced AS 1926.1-2012, which the Standards store now lists as superseded.^[S1]

Publishing a standard doesn’t make it law on its own. A standard only becomes compulsory for building work when the building code points to it, and in Victoria the code only takes legal effect from the date Victoria adopts it.^[S2]

When the 2024 edition started applying in Victoria

The National Construction Code (NCC) is the national rulebook for building work. NCC 2025 points to AS 1926.1:2024 for pool safety barriers, where NCC 2022 pointed to the 2012 edition.^{[S3] [S4]} The Australian Building Codes Board lists Victoria’s NCC 2025 start date as 1 May 2026, with no general transition period.^[S2] Victoria’s building regulator marked the day with a notice that NCC 2025 was “now in force across Victoria”.^[S9] Our NCC 2025 update covers the wider code changes.

So for Victoria, 1 May 2026 is the date to remember, and it applies to new building work, not to pools that were already built.

Why the newest standard isn’t always the one that applies

It’s easy to assume the newest edition of a standard applies the day it’s published. It doesn’t. Two separate things decide which edition your pool is held to.

For new building work, it’s the code Victoria has adopted. NCC 2025 has applied to new building work in Victoria since 1 May 2026.^{[S2] [S9]} Victoria’s own NCC 2025 variations don’t change the pool barrier clause or swap in a different edition of AS 1926.1.^{[S10] [S11]} So new pool barrier work under NCC 2025 is designed to the 2024 edition.

There are two exceptions under Victoria’s Building Act. Work under a building permit that already existed before 1 May 2026 carries on under the old rules. A building surveyor can also certify in writing that substantial progress was made on the design before that date, and the old rules then apply.^[S16] If your project was under way before 1 May 2026, ask your building surveyor which edition your permit is assessed against.

For existing pools, it’s the Victorian regulations, not the NCC. Pool registration, the four-yearly inspection and Form 23 come from Part 9A of the Building Regulations 2018 (Vic). Each barrier is held to its own applicable barrier standard, fixed by when the pool was built or when later building work on the barrier brought it under newer rules. Your council records that standard on its pool register.^{[S5] [S6] [S17]} Our post on pool safety regulations in 2026 answers the common “does NCC 2025 affect my pool?” question.

New pool builds from 1 May 2026

New pools, spas and safety barriers in Victoria need a building permit from a registered building surveyor unless the work is exempt. The permit drawings have to show how the design complies with the NCC and AS 1926, so the edition the NCC points to matters at design stage.^[S12] If you’d like a second pair of eyes on the barrier before you build, see our barrier advice before you build.

What’s different in the 2024 edition

The full standard is a paid document, so we’ve stuck to what Standards Australia’s own table of contents shows and what the main industry bodies have said in public.^{[S1] [S13] [S14]} The 2024 edition includes:

• new clauses on plants inside the non-climbable zone, and on what’s allowed to stick into that zone;
• marking of gate latches and hinges, plus testing requirements for gates and gate parts;
• an exemption pathway for combined structures that together form a barrier, and an alternative for windows used as barriers to indoor pools;
• a new Appendix G with test methods for glass panels.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) and SPASA, the pool and spa industry body, also report that the 2024 edition brings back a 1400 mm minimum latch-release height.^{[S13] [S14]} We haven’t checked that figure against the standard itself. It’s about new work under the 2024 edition. Existing gates keep the latch rules of their own standard, which our gate latch height guide explains, and our non-climbable zone guide covers the clear zone.

Boundary fences on new builds

One detail matters if your new pool uses a boundary fence as part of its barrier. The standard has a clause (2.3.1) about climbable things near a barrier, and the standard itself says that clause doesn’t apply to boundary fences. NCC 2025 changes that, so the clause does apply to boundary fences on new work.^{[S3] [S15]} Victoria hasn’t varied this.^[S10] Ask your pool builder or building surveyor to check the boundary side of the design before construction starts. Our boundary fence guide covers working with your neighbour.

Existing pools stay on the standard they were built to

This is the part most worth knowing, and it’s written into Victorian law.

What the regulations say

In plain English: your pool barrier is held to the rules that were in force when the pool was built. If building work is later done on the barrier, and that work has to meet newer rules, the newer rules apply to it. They’re the rules in force when the building permit was issued, or when the work started if no permit was needed.

Here’s the full definition of applicable barrier standard from the Building Regulations 2018 (Vic), regulation 5:

“(a) the requirements of the Act and these Regulations with which the barrier must comply (the barrier requirements) in force at the date of construction of the swimming pool or spa; or (b) if after the date of construction of the swimming pool or spa, building work is carried out on the whole or part of the barrier resulting in the whole or part of the barrier having to comply with any subsequent barrier requirements— (i) the subsequent barrier requirements in force at the date of the issue of any building permit for the building work; or (ii) the subsequent barrier requirements in force at the date of the commencement of the building work if no building permit was issued for the building work”.^[S5]

Victoria’s building regulator puts it plainly in its guidance to pool and spa inspectors. The applicable standard “is based on the construction date of the pool or spa”, the council determines it “based on its records and registers”, and the inspector “is required to ensure compliance with the applicable barrier standard determined by council in the registration notice”.^[S6]

That’s why two pools in the same street can be held to different editions. A pool built in 1998, one built in 2011 and one permitted after 1 May 2026 can each carry a different standard on the register.^[S6] For almost every existing pool we see across Geelong, the Bellarine, the Surf Coast and western Melbourne, that’s AS 1926.1-2012 or an earlier edition.

When a newer standard does kick in

Under part (b) of that definition, building work on the barrier can move all or part of it onto a newer standard.^[S5] In practice:

• Routine maintenance, such as tightening a latch or clearing a pot plant out of the non-climbable zone, generally isn’t building work, so it usually doesn’t change your applicable standard.
• Replacing or rebuilding the barrier, or a section of it, can be building work. If it is, that work can come under the rules in force at the time, which from 1 May 2026 can mean the 2024 edition.
• Whether a particular job counts as building work, or needs a permit, is a question for a registered building surveyor. Our guide to pool barrier repairs and building permits covers the usual cases.

When a certificate lodged with council shows a building surveyor certified the barrier to a different standard from the one on the register, the council must update the register to match.^{[S7] [S17]}

What this means for your four-yearly Form 23

The 2024 edition doesn’t change the cycle. A Form 23 is the Certificate of Pool and Spa Barrier Compliance. A registered pool and spa inspector issues it when the barrier meets its applicable barrier standard, and you, the owner, lodge it with council.^[S17] It must be dated no more than 30 days before you lodge it, and the next one is due four years after the previous certificate was lodged.^{[S7] [S17]} Council charges a lodgement fee when you lodge it.^[S8] Book your inspection with enough time to fix anything before your due date. There’s more detail in our Form 23 guide.

If the barrier doesn’t comply, the inspector gives you a written notice listing what needs fixing and a date to fix it, no more than 60 days after you receive the notice, then comes back to re-inspect. If we inspected your barrier, re-inspecting that same barrier once you’ve fixed the defects is free within the current four-year cycle. Some serious problems mean the inspector must issue a certificate of non-compliance (Form 24) straight away.^[S17] Our guide to what to do after a failed inspection walks through the steps.

How we inspect existing pools

We inspect your pool to the applicable barrier standard on your council register. Almost every pool we inspect is on AS 1926.1-2012 or an earlier edition. If your barrier was built or rebuilt under a building permit issued from 1 May 2026, please mention it when you get in touch, before you book.

A few practical points:

• Our standard inspection is $250. That doesn’t include council’s lodgement fee, which you pay to council when you lodge the Form 23. Our inspection cost guide sets out what’s covered.
• If we find defects on an existing barrier we’ve already inspected, re-inspecting that same barrier once you’ve fixed them is free within the current four-year cycle.
• A rebuilt barrier needs a new, paid inspection.
• We’re a registered pool and spa inspector in Victoria, registration IN-PS 100055.

Our complete guide to pool regulations in Victoria explains registration, how to find which standard your pool is on, and the eight barrier checks. Our pool fence height guide covers the 1200 mm rule and how it’s measured.

Ready to book, or not sure which standard your pool is on? Send a booking request or call 0402 860 499. The inspection is $250, plus council’s lodgement fee when you lodge your Form 23.

Frequently asked questions

Will my existing pool fail its inspection because of the 2024 standard?

No, not because of the new edition. Your inspection checks your barrier against the applicable barrier standard on your council register, which for an existing pool is the standard in force when it was built, unless later building work on the barrier brought it under newer rules.^{[S5] [S6]}

What changed in AS 1926.1:2024?

Going by Standards Australia’s table of contents, the 2024 edition adds clauses on plants in the non-climbable zone, latch and hinge marking, gate testing, combined structures, windows for indoor pools, and glass test methods. Industry bodies also report a 1400 mm minimum latch-release height.^{[S1] [S13] [S14]} These matter for new work, not existing barriers.

When did AS 1926.1:2024 start applying in Victoria?

From 1 May 2026, when Victoria adopted NCC 2025, which points to the 2024 edition. It applies to new building work. Standards Australia published the edition itself on 23 August 2024.^{[S1] [S2] [S3]}

Can my new pool still be built to the 2012 standard?

Sometimes. If your building permit was issued before 1 May 2026, or your building surveyor certifies that substantial design progress was made before that date, the earlier rules can apply.^[S16] Ask your building surveyor which edition your permit uses.

Do I have to upgrade my pool fence to the 2024 standard?

Generally, no. Nothing in the regulations requires an existing barrier to be brought up to the 2024 edition just because it was published. Your barrier must keep meeting the standard on your council register.^{[S5] [S6]}

If I replace my pool fence, which standard applies?

If the work means all or part of the barrier has to comply with newer rules, those rules apply as at the date the building permit was issued, or the date the work started if no permit was needed.^[S5] From 1 May 2026 that can be the 2024 edition. Check with a registered building surveyor before you start.

Does Victoria still use the 2012 standard?

For existing pools, yes. The regulator’s table lists pools built from 1 May 2013 against AS 1926.1-2012 (with Amendment 1) or a performance solution, and older pools against earlier editions.^[S6] For new barrier work under NCC 2025, from 1 May 2026, the edition is AS 1926.1:2024.^{[S2] [S3]}

Does the 2024 standard change my Form 23 or the four-year cycle?

No. The Form 23, the 30-day lodgement window and the four-year cycle come from the Victorian regulations, and the 2024 edition doesn’t change them.^{[S7] [S17]}

This is general information about Victorian pool barrier rules as at 28 October 2026. It isn’t legal advice, and it isn’t a building surveyor’s decision about your property.

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Sources

All accessed 28 Oct 2026 (AEDT).

Published by Local Pool Inspections · inspections carried out by Ryan Gaw, VBA-registered Pool Safety Inspector (Licence IN-PS 100055).