Fire safety

Owners of buildings or premises must provide a statement certifying all fire safety measures work properly to Bayside Council. This statement must be assessed by qualified personnel and prominently displayed.

Owners of a building where an essential fire safety measure is applicable must submit an Annual Fire Safety Statement to us every year.

Annual Fire Safety Statements are issued by, or on behalf, of the building owner, and must declare all fire safety measures on the premises have been maintained to appropriate standards. Annual Fire Safety Statements also stipulate that paths of travel to and within  required exits are kept clear of any obstructions, allowing a safe exit from the premises in the event of a fire or other emergency.

A fire safety measure is any aspect of construction, piece of equipment or evacuation plans that are required to ensure the safety of people within the building in the event of fire or other emergency.

These measures include:

• Fire rated construction
• Smoke detection and alarm systems
• Portable fire extinguishers
• Fire hose reels and hydrants
• Emergency lighting and exit signs
• Paths of travel to and within the required exit or evacuation plans.

Fire safety requirements will vary from building to building.

Owners must ensure an Accredited Practitioner in Fire Safety (APFS) inspects each fire safety measure. Owners can choose any accredited practitioner listed at the Fire Protection Association Australia to complete the assessment or inspection, and must add their details with the statement.

The accredited practitioner who completes the assessment must inspect and verify the performance of each fire safety measure being assessed.

It is important that inspections records are kept by the owner, paperwork provided by the accredited practitioner is for the owner's records and shouldn't be lodged with Bayside Council.

To ensure owners are providing the fire safety statement on time, in the correct details and reduce the risk of incurring a fine, we provide a reminder service.

Complete all sections on the Annual Fire Safety Statement form and submit with the administration fee in person or email to council@bayside.nsw.gov.au.

An Annual Fire Safety Statement for a building must deal with each essential fire safety measure in the building. It must be submitted within 12 months after the date on which the previous statement or the Final Fire Certificate was given when the building was built, and it must be lodged within 3 months of the date of inspection and assessment.

The statement must be submitted to NSW Fire and Rescue, as well as Bayside Council by:

• Email council@bayside.nsw.gov.au
• Mail to PO Box 21 Rockdale, NSW 2216
• In person at our Customer Service Centres in Rockdale or Eastgardens

The owner is responsible to ensure lodgement, regardless as to whether the property is tenanted or vacant. Please consider the following:

• On-the-spot fines can be imposed on the owner for 'Failure to provide an Annual/Supplementary Fire Safety Statement' and range from $1,000 to $4,000
• If a fine is issued, it will not excuse you from the need to submit a Fire Safety Statement and Council may proceed with legal action against you
• 'Failure to Maintain Essential Fire Safety Measures' (which is a separate offence) can also result in a fine. The penalty in this instance range from $3000 to $6000.

For other information on fire safety, including smoke alarms, home evacuation plans, winter fire safety at home and fact sheets, please also refer to the Fire + Rescue NSW website, and for more information on legislation refer to the NSW Planning & Environment website.