What the standard actually says about CPR signs
The Pool Safety Standard MP 3.4 (QDC Mandatory Part 3.4) references AS 1926.1 for barrier requirements, and the signage clause is short and clear. The pool must have a CPR sign permanently displayed, in the immediate vicinity of the pool, clearly visible to a person using the pool. The sign must show the current resuscitation guidelines as published by the Australia and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation. The content must be legible from a distance of 3 metres.
Each of those four words does work. "Permanently" means it can't be a removable sign that lives in a shed. "Immediate vicinity" means near the pool itself, not next to the kitchen door or on the front fence. "Clearly visible to a person using the pool" rules out signs facing the wrong direction. And "legible from 3 metres" is the killer in Queensland's UV climate — a sign that was perfectly readable when installed can fade past that threshold inside 5 to 7 years.
Where to mount it on a Sunshine Coast property
The two best spots on most Sunshine Coast pools are the inside face of the pool fence next to the gate, or the wall of a pool shed or pump house facing the water. Either gives an immediate sightline to anyone in or beside the pool, and either can be positioned in shade or partial shade to extend the sign's lifespan. We strongly advise against mounting the sign on a west or north-west facing fence in full afternoon sun — on Coolum and Sunshine Beach properties the colour wash on vinyl signs can drop visibly inside 24 months in those orientations.
The sign needs to be mounted at a sensible reading height. We see signs hung at child eye-level on the assumption that's where it should be, but the people who need to actually use the sign in an emergency are adults — mount it at roughly 1500mm above ground level, the same height as the latch on the gate, and you'll have it in everyone's natural eyeline.
The 2021 ANZCOR update — why older signs are now non-compliant
The Australia and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation updates its guidelines periodically. The 2021 update revised some of the imagery and wording around compression depth, hand placement and the sequence of breaths to compressions. Signs printed before that update are physically the same sign, but they now show superseded content — and the standard requires current ANZCOR guidance.
Practically, that means any CPR sign printed before 2021 will fail a pool safety inspection on the content test, even if it's still perfectly legible. We see this come up most often on Caloundra and Nambour properties that haven't been inspected since the last sale several years ago. Signs printed since 2021 are clearly dated in the corner; if yours isn't dated and it looks even slightly weathered, plan on replacing it.
The Sunshine Coast UV reality — budget for replacement every 7 years
There's no statutory replacement interval. The standard says "legible from 3 metres", full stop. In practice, on a north or west-facing fence on the Sunshine Coast, the realistic lifespan of a standard vinyl-printed CPR sign is 5 to 7 years before fade pushes it past the legibility line. Polypropylene and metal-substrate signs do better — we typically get 10+ years out of a quality powder-coated aluminium sign in a partially shaded position.
If you want a single, simple maintenance rule: replace the CPR sign at every alternate pool safety inspection, i.e. every four years. That conservative cycle catches the ANZCOR update window, stays well inside the UV-fade danger zone, and costs less than the call-out fee for an emergency replacement before a settlement.
What we check during an inspection
When we arrive on a Sunshine Coast property to issue a Form 23, the CPR sign check takes about 90 seconds. We walk to 3 metres away, we read the sign. If we can read all the text and the diagrams are clearly distinguishable, we tick it off. We check the bottom or back of the sign for a printed ANZCOR version date — pre-2021 fails on content. We check it's mounted permanently (not a clip-on or magnetic mount), it's in the immediate vicinity of the pool, and it's facing the water. If any of those four checks fail, we issue a Form 26 with the specific failure noted, and the owner has 90 days to replace it.
Replacement signs that meet the current standard cost typically $25 to $60 from any major pool supply shop or hardware store. They install with two screws into the fence post or a pool shed wall. There's no specialist trade required — an owner can install one in ten minutes, and we'll re-inspect (no charge inside the 90-day window) once it's up.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the CPR sign have to be on a Sunshine Coast pool fence?
The sign must be in the immediate vicinity of the pool, clearly visible to a person using the pool, mounted at a height where the text and images are legible from 3 metres. In practice that usually means the inside face of the pool fence near the gate, or a pool shed wall facing the water. It cannot be inside a house or on a fence facing away from the pool.
How often do CPR signs need to be replaced in Queensland?
There's no fixed legislated interval, but the standard is that the sign must remain legible from 3 metres. On the Sunshine Coast UV exposure typically takes a vinyl or printed sign past that threshold inside 5 to 7 years on a north or west-facing fence. Plan on a replacement every 7 years as a conservative cycle, sooner if the property faces full afternoon sun.
What is the ANZCOR 2021 update and does it affect my sign?
The Australia and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) updated the resuscitation guidelines in 2021, changing some of the technique imagery and compression sequence wording. Any CPR sign printed before 2021 now shows superseded content and is non-compliant on the content test, even if it's still physically legible. New signs sold in Queensland since 2021 reflect the updated ANZCOR guidance.
Do I need a CPR sign for a small spa or plunge pool?
Yes, if the pool holds more than 300mm of water. Spas, plunge pools, swim-spas and lap pools all fall under the same Pool Safety Standard MP 3.4 as conventional swimming pools in Queensland, including the CPR sign requirement. The only structures exempt are wading pools, paddling pools and pools that cannot hold more than 300mm of water.
Book a pre-inspection CPR check
If your last pool safety certificate was issued before 2021, the sign is almost certainly due for replacement on content grounds alone. Add UV fade on top of that and most coastal Sunshine Coast properties are sitting on a sign that won't pass next time. Phone +61 7 3543 5050 or email quotes@poolsafetysunshinecoast.com.au for a full Form 23 inspection from $375.