Mr Lucas said the first stage of the nation's strictest safety regulations would be in place on December 1 with the second stage scheduled to start in late 2010.

"These new regulations will save children's lives and they will make our pools the safest in Australia," said Mr Lucas.

Mr Lucas said the new regulations would be implemented in two stages so current pool owners and the industry would have time to adjust.

"Stage one will apply immediately to all new residential swimming pools from December 1 2009," he said.

"This will mean all new pools must meet the latest pool fencing standards, with clear and strict non-climbable zones above and adjacent to the fence.

"A more comprehensive second stage will follow a year later and we expect all affected Queensland pools to meet the new pool safety standards within five years, or sooner if sold or leased first.

"One of the key changes in the second stage will be mandatory safety inspections before a property with a pool is sold or leased with inspections expected to cost between $90 and $130.

"These point-of-sale or lease inspections were found by the expert committee to be more closely targeted to key risk periods than regular cyclic inspections.

"This is because children are at a greater risk of drowning or immersion injury in the first six months of moving to a property with a pool.

"Our approach not only targets this risky period, it provides real incentives for pool owners to comply and it is designed to help cut the need for councils to pursue breaches through the courts."

Stage one of the new Pool Safety regime includes:
• simplification of pool fencing laws to the latest pool fencing standards
• specifying standards for temporary fencing for pools under construction
• ensuring all new swimming pools undergo mandatory final inspections
• mandatory CPR signage that meets current best practice
• developing a model pool register
• better reporting of immersion incidents from Queensland police, and
• more than tripling the spend on the State Government's pool safety campaign.

Stage two starts in late 2010 and targets existing swimming pools with:
• rationalisation of 11 current and confusing pool fencing standards to just one standard
• wider application of state laws to include indoor pools and pools associated with hotels, motels, caretaker residences and caravan parks
• fencing for all portable pools deeper than 300mm
• phase out of child-resistant doors forming part of a pool barrier
• mandatory inspections at point of sale and lease of properties with a pool to obtain a certificate of compliance
• A pool safety inspection certificate lasts for two years for a non shared pool (e.g. house) regardless of how many times it is released or sold in this period.
• A certificate lasts for one year for shared pools (e.g. hotels & apartment buildings) regardless of how many there is a release or sale in this period.
• removing the ability for councils to create local pool laws where state laws apply
• local governments to gain greater powers of entry for safety inspections, and
• model local law for councils to cover public swimming pools outside state laws.

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe said the new safety, fencing and inspection regime would be fully in place by 2010.

"The State Government is simply not prepared to take any risks with the wellbeing of young children around pools, especially those under five," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Parents remain the first line of defence - they must always watch their kids around water and teach them how to swim from an early age.

"But these tough pool regulations will make a difference.

"Last year eight children under four drowned in our pools - more than in any other state in Australia - and around 50 more children will present to emergency departments this year following a life-threatening immersion.

"If we can stop even one of those incidents it will be worthwhile."

Last year the State Government asked an expert committee, including Kidsafe, the Royal Lifesaving Society, Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit and Local Government Association of Queensland, to conduct the most exacting review of pool laws in nearly 20 years.

The committee released a consensus report with 23 findings, all of which will be implemented.

"There has been overwhelming support for new pool safety laws since the review was announced last summer," said Mr Hinchliffe.

"The committee's report was publicly released in April 2009 and the Department of Infrastructure and Planning conducted roadshows from the Gold Coast to Cairns and west to Mt Isa so we could get maximum feedback on the suggested changes.

"There was strong public support for most measures and we will accept those findings in their entirety."

Mr Hinchliffe said new regulations were desperately needed.

"Just this week the Royal Life Saving Society's national drowning report showed that almost 60 per cent of children under five who lost their lives through drowning did so in backyard swimming pools," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"It also showed pools were four times more likely than lakes, dams or lagoons to be where these children lost their lives.

"Our new Queensland laws will give us every chance to stop that alarming trend."

He said the State Government would have a register of newly licensed pool safety inspectors so that property owners could easily obtain an inspection. Those inspections will be provided by either local councils or private inspectors.

Within seven years there will be a review of the new regulations.

To obtain more information about the new regulations visit www.dip.qld.gov.au

Background
The swimming pool safety review committee consisted of:
Australian Institute of Building Surveyors; Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian; Dawn Spinks, independent child drowning prevention expert; Department of Community Safety (Queensland Ambulance Service); Department of Infrastructure and Planning (Chair); Housing Industry Association; Kidsafe Australia; Local Government Association of Queensland; Queensland Health; Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit; Queensland Master Builders Association; Royal Life Saving Society Australia; Swimming Pool and Spa Association of Queensland.