Splash Au

Poolwerx has appointed Marla Mock as chief operating officer of their US operations. Mock brings extensive franchise expertise to her new role, with experience leading top home service brands including ServiceMaster, Rainbow Restoration, Aire Serv and Molly Maid. Poolwerx global executive director Steve Greenbaum says that Mock has built a reputation for strengthening franchise operations, elevating systemwide performance, and fostering strong, trust-based relationships with franchise owners.

By Ben Makepeace SPASA’s policy manager Ben Makepeace provides a comprehensive update on the relevant changes to the National Construction Code. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) update to the National Construction Code (NCC) 2025 was published on May 1, 2026. Since then, each state and territory has been announcing their adoption dates and confirming state variations.

Late last year, the New Zealand Government released a list of determinations on the Building Performance website. One determination, 2025/057: Compliance of part of a pool barrier on a property boundary with Building Code Clause F9, is relevant for the swimming pool and spa industry. This determination considers whether part of a proposed pool barrier on a property boundary complies with Building Code Clause F9 – Means of restricting access to residential pools.

There has been a promotion and a new appointment at Fluidra Commercial Australia. Natsuki Murata has been promoted to the role of special projects engineer, following the recent transition of Ole Hoskinson from the position. In this role, Murata will be responsible for major projects requiring specialist design, fabrication, installation supervision and commissioning.

In February, IRLearning delivered its Aquatic Technical Operator program to the team at Raging Waters Sydney. Rachael Bambry, executive manager of training at IRLearning, says that what makes this delivery even better is that the training was fully contextualised to their site, including their specific plant room equipment, operational processes and the chemicals and systems they use day to day. “We love delivering this kind of practical, industry-led training,” she says.

From Wednesday July 1, 2026, new rules mean texts sent with an organisation’s name at the top of a message (known as a branded sender ID) will need to have the sender ID registered. Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) says this will reduce scams and improve trust in business messaging. Businesses using SMS must register their sender IDs to ensure messages are delivered.

Australian organisation Autism Swim has launched the Neuroinclusive Aquatics Academy – a world-first learning hub designed to equip everyone with the knowledge and tools to create neuroinclusive aquatic environments. For more than a decade, Autism Swim has worked alongside aquatic and allied health professionals, and the broader community, to make the water safer and a place where everyone can belong.

By Ben Makepeace Two 2025 New Zealand fibreglass pool standards are now published and are available to the industry: • NZS 1838:2025: Swimming pools – Premoulded fibre-reinforced plastics – Design and fabrication; • NZS 1839:2025: Swimming pools – Premoulded fibre-reinforced plastics – Installation. New Zealand was previously using AS/NZS 1838:1994 and AS/NZS 1839:1994, which had served the industry well but were outdated after recent updates to the Australian version of the standards.

The latest digital version of SPLASH! is out now: read Edition 161 here online. The State SPASA Awards of Excellence All the winners and finalists of the Swimming Pool & Spa Awards of Excellence from around the country. Diving into advanced water treatment Veda Dante looks at ozone systems and sees how they have migrated from the commercial market to gain traction as secondary disinfection for residential pools.

August 24th, 2025 A comprehensive new Royal Life Saving Australia study has found a significant reduction in drowning rates, particularly among young children, but highlights continuing challenges among migrant and regional populations, and at rivers and beaches.