Thinking of buying an above ground swimming pool? Its a great alternative thats less than half the cost of an in ground pool. The biggest advantage is that you dont have to move house because you dont want the pool any more, simply pull it down. Here are some handy hints to get you in the swim for less.

Council Approval

Approval is required for any structure that can be filled with water, for bathing or wading, to a depth of 300 millimetres or more. This includes above ground pools as well as outdoor spa tubs or spa pools.

You can arrange for approval through a building certifier (certifiers are listed in the Yellow Pages under 'Building Surveyors').

Approval is not required for fish ponds and portable wading pools less than 2,000 litres in volume with no filtration or pumping system and a depth of less than 450 millimetres.

Please check with your local council for finer details BEFORE starting any plans.

Pool Construction

An above ground pool needs Council approval so do some home work first, get some quotes and weigh up the best way to go about it. If you want to install it yourself there are online shops that not only supply the pool and everything else you will need but they have installation downloads, video tapes, and free advice over the phone.

Fencing

All pools need fencing. These specific regulations apply:

Pools built before 1991
Any windows that open into the pool area must be protected so there are openings of no more that 100mm. Examples of material to use for protection are security screens or grills.

Any doors from the house to the pool area must be self-closing and self-latching.

Pools built after 1991
Require isolation fencing around the pool (and between the pool and the house).

Building a new fence

The following rules apply if you are building a new fence:

• the fence must be built to today's standards
• the fence will need building approval
• a temporary fence must be erected during construction
• For full information about pool fencing requirements, refer to the Australian Standards 1926.

Exemptions

A pool fencing exemption may be granted in some circumstances, for example, if a resident has a disability.

Please check with your local council for finer details BEFORE starting any plans.

Pool Selection

There is a good range of above ground pools available in Australia and you can get into a good average sized one for under $5,000. Look at how long you may want the pool for. If you have kids then look at growing into the pool rather than being faced with out growing it within a few years. There are round, oval, kidney, key hole, with or with out deep ends, and even 4 or 4 6 wall heights.