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Swimming pool standards to align with Australian good practice

Kiwis love pools with over 30,000 pools in residential properties in Auckland alone. Standards play a key role in their safe use, manufacture and installation and ensure they are fit for purpose. Two adoptions with modifications of Australian standards will bring latest good practice to New Zealand.

Bringing the benefit of 30 years of better practice

The current recognised industry good practice, soon to be superseded by the adoptions, come via AS/NZS 1838:1994 Swimming pools – Premoulded fibre-reinforced plastics – Design and fabrication and AS/NZS 1839:1994 Swimming pools – Premoulded fibre-reinforced plastics – Installation.

In 2021 the joint standards were revised with New Zealand opting out, leading to a ‘dejointed’ Australian-only standard progressing in Australia. However, the Swimming Pool and Spa Association of both Australia and New Zealand (SPASA), through its New Zealand subsidiary Pool and Spa Association Ltd, recognised the need to bring current good practice to the New Zealand market, subsequently commissioning the adoption with modification of both AS 1838:2021 and AS 1839:2021. The resultant standards will supersede AS/NZS 1838 and AS/NZS 1839 as ‘NZS AS 1838’ and ‘NZS AS 1839’.

To be adopted ‘with modification’ means a committee representing New Zealand interests will consider if updated material in the recent Australian Standards is suitable for the New Zealand swimming pool and spa industry and, if not, develop appropriate modifications.

Don’t splash out without standards

Fibre-reinforced plastic (commonly referred to as fibreglass) pools are relatively new to the New Zealand market and installation of this style of pool and spa has increased in New Zealand over the last 30 years due to their cost, aesthetic appeal and quicker time to install. When you’re spending at least $40,000 on a product expected to last at least 25 years, with annual running costs of around $1,000, you want standards in place to ensure the product will endure and work for the environment it is used in.

Many changes have occurred since AS/NZS 1838 and AS/NZS 1839 were first published, and the Australian industry is well placed to help shape the standard used here since Australia has the highest pool ownership per capita in the world with 1.2 million private pools. More than 30,000 new private pools are installed yearly, says the Swimming Pool & Spa Association (SPASA).

Aligning industry practice with Australia

SPASA and other industry leaders have recognised that New Zealand manufacturers, installers and consumers would benefit from newer, improved technologies and materials and updated design and installation practices being detailed in a more modern standard. Also, the improvements will result in improved and longer lasting pool structures that reflect current best practice.

A committee representing material experts, engineering, equipment installers, manufacturers and installers, along with independent consultants, will provide a balanced view to assess and inform the modifications. The committee has a combination of New Zealand and Australian participants to ensure the right balance of expertise is extracted across both countries.  

While the outcome will not be a joint Australian/New Zealand standard it will represent consistent good industry practice used across the Tasman and ensure New Zealand users have pools that are fit for purpose and reflect modern needs. The standards are expected to be published on Standards New Zealand’s website in mid-2025.

NOTE: While these standards do not relate to safety inspections of private residential pools, users of pools and those considering a new installation should familiarise themselves with the legal safety requirements founds in the Building (Pools) Amendment Act 2016 and Building Act 2004. Further information can be found here:

Residential pool safety information(external link)