The Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 includes provisions (legal conditions) for development certification and fire safety requirements.
The Minister for Fair Trading and the Minister for Planning administer the provisions jointly. Please contact the Department of Fair Trading on 13 32 20.
Fire safety certificates
A fire safety certificate is issued by or on behalf of a building owner when new building work is complete. The certificate confirms that a properly qualified person has installed and checked the measures listed in the fire safety schedule. This helps verify that the measures can perform to the minimum standard.
Certificates must use the Fire safety certificate template (DOCX, 244 KB).
Fire safety statements
A fire safety statement is a document issued by or on behalf of the owner(s) of an existing building.
The statement confirms that an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has assessed, inspected and verified the performance of each fire safety measure that applies to the building.
There are two types of fire safety statements:
- Annual fire safety statements
An annual fire safety statement must be issued each year and include all the essential fire safety measures that apply to a building. The statement also verifies that an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has inspected and confirmed that the exit systems in the building are in compliance with the Regulation.
- Supplementary fire safety statements
A supplementary fire safety statement is issued at more regular intervals (as specified in the fire safety schedule) for any critical fire safety measures that apply to a building.
Standard template forms
A fire safety statement is issued by or on behalf of an owner of an existing building. The statement confirms that an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has verified the performance of each fire safety measure in the building.
There are 2 types of fire safety statements:
- Annual fire safety statements must be issued each year and include the essential fire safety measures that apply to a building. The statement also verifies that an accredited practitioner has confirmed that the exit systems comply with the Regulation.
- Supplementary fire safety statements are issued at more regular intervals as specified in the fire safety schedule for any critical measures.
Fire safety statements must use the Fire safety statement template version 4 (DOCX, 163 KB).
More information about statements
Fire safety statement – Frequently asked questions (PDF, 86 KB)
Fire safety schedules
A fire safety schedule (FSS) plays a key role in ensuring that a building’s fire safety measures are installed and maintained to meet a minimum performance standard.
From 1 August 2023, FSSs must be issued using a standard template form published by the NSW Government. Existing buildings will not have to use the standard template unless a new schedule is required. Where a council re-issues a fire safety schedule when corrections are needed or where the schedule is missing, the new template is not required unless it is already being used for the existing or replaced schedule.
For further information, visit NSW Fair Trading’s Reforms to fire safety regulation.
Accredited practitioners (fire safety)
An accredited practitioner (fire safety) is a person who does certain specialist fire safety assessments required by the Regulation. Practitioners are covered by an accreditation scheme. The government approved the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA) accreditation scheme in July 2020. It is the first industry accreditation scheme to receive approval.
Only practitioners accredited by the FPAA can perform the functions of an accredited practitioner (fire safety) where those functions are covered by the scheme. Certain registered certifiers can also endorse the plans and specifications for specific fire safety systems.
For some fire safety functions, there are currently no practitioners accredited by the FPAA. For these functions, a building owner or certifier must determine that a person is an accredited practitioner (fire safety). This is much like the role building owners and certifiers did previously.
More information about accredited practitioners
- Selecting an accredited practitioner (fire safety) – A guide for building owners (PDF, 241 KB)
- Selecting an accredited practitioner (fire safety) – A guide for building certifiers (PDF, 275 KB)
For more information about who can perform the functions of an accredited practitioner (fire safety) and the approved schemes, visit NSW Fair Trading’s Fire safety practitioner page.