Annual Fire Safety Statements
Council is working to ensure that all commercial and multi-residential buildings that contain essential services and are required to submit annual an Annual Fire Safety Statement are listed on Councils Essential Services Register.
Annual Fire Safety Statements listing essential services are required to be submitted to council, as detailed in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation.
The regulation requires that the owner/s of the building or the nominated person acts on behalf of the building owner/owners of buildings that are of a commercial or multi residential use and contain essential services are to provide Council with an Annual Fire Safety Statement listing the essential services and stating that they have been assessed within 3 months of the Statement being provided by a suitably qualified person.
Commercial and multi residential properties include factories, shops, premises that provide short or long term accommodation and residential properties that contain two or more residences. All commercial and multi residential buildings regardless of their age are subject to a minimum standard of construction to protect the occupants in the event of a fire and to allow for those occupants to escape the building.
It is considered that a suitably qualified person is someone who understands the design and implementation of the critical fire measures with regard to the Building Code of Australia and relevant Australian Standards or other Standards in operation at the time of the installation of the critical fire measure, and is able to certify their installation and operation.
Strata Companies/Owners Corporations responsibility for submission of an Annual Fire Services Statement is outlined in Clause 65 of the Strata Schemes Management Act.
It is up to the building owner or strata company to ensure that an AFSS is prepared and submitted each year on time to Council and that a further copy is sent to the Fire Commissioner. Under Council’s fees and charges the current administration fee of $114 is required when submitting an AFSS to Council.
For further information please contact Council’s Development Assessment Team on 9748 9999 or visit Planning NSW website www.planning.nsw.gov.au or NSW Fire Brigade website www.fire.nsw.gov.au
Smoke Alarms
Legislation came into effect 1 May 2006 requiring the installation of smoke alarms in premises which contained sleeping areas; these premises can include residential homes, places providing both short and long term accommodation and the residential portion of mixed use buildings and the individual units of a multi residential flat building.
Location of where smoke detectors should be installed is detailed in the Building Code of Australia, of which a copy is available to the public at Councils Library.
For further information please contact Council’s Development Assessment Team on 9748 9999 or Planning NSW Smoke Alarms Helpline on 1300 858 812.
