Reporting an unfenced or unsafe pool next door

Tell the local council for the area where the pool is. QBCC says a pool that looks unsafe, or does not meet the standard, can be reported to the local council at any time, and councils are the ones that enforce the pool safety standard. QBCC runs the pool register and licenses inspectors, and takes complaints about inspectors.Source: QBCC, Swimming pool safety laws (page reviewed 30 Aug 2021) and The role of local councils in pool safety (page reviewed 30 Aug 2021), read 31 Oct 2026.

If a child is in danger now, call Triple Zero (000).

Who to contact

• The council for the pool's address. Look on that council's website for a pool or building complaints page. Brisbane City Council, for example, has a pool and pond safety complaints page (opens in a new tab). We have not listed every council.
• Not QBCC, for the fence itself. QBCC's page points reports to the local council. QBCC's own phone line is 139 333 if you are unsure.

What a council complaint looks like: Brisbane as an example

Brisbane City Council says that if you see a pool with a damaged barrier or no barrier, you can make a complaint by phone on 07 3403 8888 or through its email link. It asks for your name, address and phone number, which it says are kept confidential, and a description of the issue with the address of the pool. It says it treats pool fencing issues as urgent and handles these complaints immediately, and that it may write to the owner so they can fix the problem. You may be sent a copy of that letter. If the owner does not fix it, the page points to a further information request form. Other councils have their own steps, so use theirs. That page shows no review date, and we read it on 31 October 2026.

What a complaint does not do

• It does not decide whether a pool meets the standard. Only a licensed pool safety inspector can issue a certificate or notice, and a council decides whether to act.
• It is not a fence dispute. If the problem is who pays for a shared boundary fence, that is a different process: your neighbour's fence as a pool barrier.
• It is not a complaint about an inspector. QBCC takes those on a Form 1, which it says can be submitted online. If you rent, QBCC says to tell your landlord when the fence is broken or a gate does not close.

We did not find a QBCC or Queensland Government page that says where to report a pool that may not be registered, beyond telling the council. QBCC says it audits properties for registration.

More on who does what

Pool owner responsibilities sets out the owner's duties, and council inspections and fines covers what councils can do.

How this page was made: the PoolPreCert team read each page listed under Sources on 31 October 2026 and wrote this in plain words. The dates beside each source are the dates those pages show. PoolPreCert is not part of QBCC or the Queensland Government, and only a licensed pool safety inspector decides whether a pool meets the standard.