Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

are there any safety regulations in Oz about fencing private swimming pools. If so, might they apply to some fish tanks?

just wondering

yes. afaik it's all council based. go to [council_name].[state_abbrev].gov.au for more info

Whats the difference between a pool, shallow water tank or deep trough?

Along the same line whats the difference between a dam, well (narrow dam) and bore (extremely narrow dam)?

Good point KP, easiest just to check with the council. Guess it would also be up to the council to say what size tank fits any rules they have.

Dazed

What KP said.
Most councils are a bunch of self serving half-wits supposedly representing you and me. Someone complains and they make a by-law, or their insurance company tells them to.

In Perth, swimming pools, private, yes; approved fences.

Everything else? (If there are fish in there it is not a swimming pool, IMHO)

As far as I am aware there are no rules for dams, fish ponds, bird baths, only pools and spas!

Sh*t

Just read your last post Dazed; look if it bothers you PM me and let me know which Council or Shire you are in, I can check it out.

Ask the Council; you have to be joking

been argued about before somewhere here

From my recollection (maybe just my council) pools or any thing designed, sold or used as a pool needs to have a fence.

so, legally a 1000L blowup pool used as a fish tank needs a pool fence but my IBC does not.

absobloody lootly...
all freaked up, better you consider safety rather than rely on a reg...

I remember when I dug my pond I checked and read somewhere (paraphrasing) any body of water more than 300mm deep that is used for recreation purposes. Fish ponds and (something else) are exempt.

But it would seem they've upgraded the website since then.

thanks for the offer Sleepe. Actually though, it doesn't bother me. Just wondering. What I meant in that last post was that if you wanted to know definitively, the 'easiest' way would be to find out from the council (depending on the efficiency of the person answering your enquiry)

and there Dazed lay the problems...and will they be there when you need them to support you after you have build your fish tank um pool thingy...

The question should not be "Do I need a fence"? The question should be "Should I have a fence around my Tank"? For safty, if a child can get to it and maybe in it , MAKE IT SAFE. Put a lid on or a fence around it. Child safty must be a high priority. If the coulcil say "no you dont need a fence" Do it anyway, MAKE IT SAFE.

Aussieponic.

yeah but a fence around my pond would look ugly (no uglier than a half empty pond i guess) but ugly all the same, and I don't have kids, nor do I allow them in my yard unsupervised (can't risk that with my boxer)

So I state that the 6' fence around my house and yard is fence enough.

Dazed

Sorry about the response last night (few beers and I get paranoid about the government) .


Aussie

Humans are taught to fear the water, wouldn't it be more sensible to put money into making sure all of them can swim?
The latest in Perth was a little boy drowned in the river, result calls to fence rivers.