Spas Follow the Same Pool Rules
If your spa can hold more than 300mm of water, it's treated like a swimming pool under Queensland law. Same standard (AS 1926.1-2007 and AS 1926.2-2007), same Form 23 — and a few extra things to watch because spas tend to live in tight spots.
Equipotential bonding
Spas are usually surrounded by metal — handrails, pump frames, aluminium decking, gas heaters, even fence posts. All of that metalwork inside the "pool zone" needs to be electrically bonded together so a fault can't put voltage through someone in the water. A licensed electrician handles the bonding, but I'll flag it on the inspection if something obvious is missing.
A complete barrier — all four sides
Spas still need a continuous compliant barrier around them. Walls of the house can form part of it, but every gap, gate and door has to meet the standard: 1200mm high, no climbable footholds, self-closing and self-latching gates that swing outward.
⚠️ Critical
You must provide a compliant access point — that means a self-closing and self-latching gate inside a fully enclosed pool safety barrier fence. No gate, no certificate. A door, a removable panel or "lifting the cover" does not count.
A spa cover is not a barrier
Lockable hard covers are great for heat retention and stopping leaves — but they don't replace a compliant fence in Queensland. Doesn't matter how heavy or how locked it is, the spa still needs a proper barrier around it.
Watch the 900mm non-climbable zone
This is where most spas get caught. Because spas usually sit close to the house — on a deck, under an alfresco, off a verandah — the barrier ends up right next to:
- Diamond-grille security doors and screens (the diamond mesh is climbable)
- Wide window ledges, sills and weatherboards
- BBQs, bar fridges, planter boxes and outdoor furniture
- Stair stringers, handrails and verandah posts with rails
- Pool pumps, filter housings and AC condensers
Anything climbable inside the 900mm NCZ (Non Climb Zone) on the outside (approach side) of the barrier is a fail. With spas, the fix is often as simple as moving the BBQ or swapping a security door — but it needs to be picked up before inspection day.
Got a spa that needs certifying?
I inspect spas the same way I inspect pools. Same Form 23, same fast turnaround, and I'll point out anything you can fix on the spot.