Do you need a pool CPR sign? NSW and QLD rules
Yes, every regulated pool needs one. QLD prescribes a 300mm sign and the CPR technique on it; NSW just needs yours readable from 3m.
Last reviewed July 2026. Pool rules change and vary by council, so confirm the current requirement with your state authority before you act.
Every regulated pool in Australia needs a resuscitation, or CPR, sign near it, and inspectors in both NSW and QLD check it as a matter of course. It sounds like a small thing next to fence height and gate hardware, but a faded, missing, or outdated sign is an easy, entirely avoidable fail. The two states do not word the requirement identically, so this page sets out what each actually asks for.
NSW: what the law requires
In NSW, the law requires a CPR sign displayed near your pool, and that includes portable pools, not just permanent in-ground ones. The sign must be in good condition and easily readable from 3m away, which rules out a sign that has faded in the sun or is tucked somewhere you would need to walk right up to it to read.
New CPR signs came into effect on 1 September 2019, and all new pools must use the updated signage. If you already had a pool before that date, you are not required to replace an older sign just because the design changed, unless the pool barrier is substantially altered or rebuilt, at which point the updated sign is expected too. Source: NSW Government, owning a pool or spa obligations.
QLD: what the pool safety standard requires
Queensland's pool safety standard is more specific about the physical sign itself. It must be at least 300mm by 300mm and made of durable, weatherproof material, attached to the pool safety fence or displayed near the pool so it is easily visible to anyone nearby.
The content is prescribed too: the sign must show how to perform CPR, and the technique detailed must start with 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths. QBCC's own guidance also recommends placing it closest to where you would actually retrieve someone from the water, often near the shallow end or the steps, rather than wherever there happens to be a fence post free. Source: QBCC, CPR signs.
The practical difference
NSW's published requirement is framed around legibility and presence: have a sign, keep it in good condition, make sure it reads clearly from 3m away. QLD adds a hard minimum size (300mm by 300mm), a material spec, and a specific CPR technique the sign content has to reflect. If you are relying on advice written for the other state, or a sign bought before either state's current rules, check it against the state your pool is actually in rather than assuming the details carry across the border.
In both states, the fix is the same either way: a cheap, off-the-shelf compliant sign from a pool-supply retailer, mounted somewhere clearly visible near the water. It is one of the least expensive items on the whole inspection checklist to get right, and one of the most common small things to be caught out on.
Keep it current
Sun exposure fades printed signs faster than most owners expect, and a sign an inspector cannot read from 3m away fails the same way a missing one does. Check the sign each time you are checking anything else pool-related, and replace it well before a booked inspection rather than the day before.
This is general information, not legal advice. The authorities are NSW Fair Trading and the NSW Swimming Pool Register in New South Wales, and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) in Queensland. Always confirm the current rule for the state your pool is in.
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