Lodge a fire safety certificate
The owner of a building having a fire safety schedule is required to provide a copy of the fire safety certificate to the Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW)
Under section 85 [external link] of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 the building owner must provide a copy of fire safety certificate to FRNSW as soon as possible after the certificate is issued. The fire safety certificate is a certificate stating that the fire safety measures within the building are capable of performing to the standard defined by the fire safety schedule. The fire safety certificate is issued at the completion of building works involving any fire safety measures and is required before an occupation certificate can be issued.
Note: The local Council will receive a copy of the fire safety certificate when the occupation certificate has been determined by the principal certifier. The local Council are the regulatory authority on this matter.
There are two types of fire safety certificates, final and interim. The final fire safety certificate covers each essential fire safety measure specified in the fire safety schedule for the completed building. The interim fire safety certificate covers each essential fire safety measure specified in the fire safety schedule for the part of the building to which the certificate relates (i.e. part occupation of a building). The fire safety certificate is to be produced using the Fire Safety Certificate form which is available from NSW Planning website [external link].
Note: For information on using this form please contact NSW Planning, Industry and Environment, Building Code Advisory Service on (02) 09274 6529. Alternatively, you can contact your local Council who are the regulatory authority.
A properly qualified person must inspect and verify the performance of each fire safety measure being assessed, and test the operation of each new item of equipment installed within the building that is included in the current fire safety schedule. The owner can choose which qualified person will asses each fire safety measure, who is typically a representative of the fire protection company engaged to install that system/measure.
The owner must also provide a copy of the current fire safety schedule when lodging the fire safety certificate to FRNSW. The standard of performance on the fire safety certificate can be cross checked against the measure identified on the schedule. The fire safety certificate and the fire safety schedule must also be prominently displayed in the building.
Note: The local council is the regulatory authority on this matter and may impose penalties if fire safety certificates are not issued correctly or provided in a timely manner.
Process
The fire safety certificate and its accompanying fire safety schedule is to be lodged electronically by email to: firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au
Costs
There is no charge applicable to lodge a fire safety certificate.
Further information
NSW Planning website [external link]
Fact sheet for building owners on new fire safety requirements [external link]
NSW Planning - Fire safety certification [external link]
Selecting a competent fire safety practitioner [external link]