Pool non-compliance re-inspection across the Sunshine Coast.

You got Form 26 instead of Form 23 — what now.

Form 26 (Notice of Non-Compliance) is what an inspector issues when one or more items fail QDC MP 3.4 / AS 1926.1. Form 26 is itemised — every failure listed with the specific regulation reference. You have 3 months from the issue date to rectify the listed items, after which the inspector must reinspect and issue Form 23 if everything now passes.

Form 26 doesn’t close off the pool from use — that’s the owner’s call — but for sale and tenancy purposes the property is non-compliant until Form 23 is issued.

What we do (and what we don’t).

We do:

• Diagnose every failure item with a clear explanation of what needs to change to pass
• Refer local fence builders, gate-hardware suppliers, and tradies who do the rectification
• Return for a re-inspection ($120–$180) once rectification is signed off
• Issue Form 23 if everything now passes + lodge with QBCC Pool Safety Register
• Send Form 23 PDF direct to owner, property manager, conveyancer, strata manager as required

We don’t do:

• Fence repairs, latch / hinge replacement, gate hardware installation
• CPR sign supply or install (the sign is $40–$80 at any pool shop)
• NCZ remediation (moving garden beds, removing planters, repositioning air-con condensers)
• Door / window restrictor installation
• New pool fence supply or install

Pool Safety Inspectors who also do the rectification work have a built-in conflict — they make money from finding faults and then charging to fix them. We don’t do that. We inspect, we refer, we return.

Common Form 26 failure items on the Sunshine Coast.

• Climbable object inside the 900mm NCZ. Most common single failure. Fix: move the object. Cost: $0. We diagnose it — sometimes there’s a less-obvious solution (e.g. swap the climbable BBQ for a wall-mount that sits flush, or raise the planter so the lip is above 1500mm).
• Gate latch height below 1500mm. Fix: replace latch with a compliant magnetic latch. Magna-Latch or D&D MagnaLatch are the two standard options. Cost: $180–$340 supply + install by a fence trade.
• Gate self-closing failure. Hinge spring no longer pulls the gate shut from 150mm open. Fix: replace hinge pair (matched pair, not single). Cost: $220–$420.
• CPR sign missing, faded, or pre-2018 version. Fix: install current DG-006 sign. Cost: $40–$80 sign + mounting.
• Gap under fence over 100mm. Often from soil settlement, mulch loss, garden bed re-grading. Fix: build up ground level or install a low timber threshold. Cost: $0–$200.
• Door from dwelling into pool zone not lockable / not self-closing. Fix: install door self-closer + key lock. Cost: $180–$420.
• Boundary-fence-as-pool-fence not compliant. Climbable footholds on pool side, gaps, height below 1800mm on a slope. Fix: timber batten extension or panel replacement. Cost: $200–$1,400 depending on extent. Common in Buderim and other large-lot suburbs.

Diagnostic-only quote (NCZ stubborn cases).

For complex NCZ failures where the obvious fix (just move it) isn’t practical — e.g. an air-con condenser that can’t be relocated, a built-in BBQ unit, a brick planter — we offer a diagnostic-only quote ($80–$120) where we work through the alternatives (raising the lip above 1500mm, adding a barrier, repositioning the fence) before you commit to a fence builder. Saves money compared to getting a fence trade out for a quote.

Cost summary.

• Re-inspection after rectification: $120–$180 (includes Form 23 issue + lodgement if compliant).
• Diagnostic-only quote for stubborn NCZ: $80–$120.
• Urgent under-48-hour re-inspection: +$50 surcharge.