Annual fire safety statements

Submit your annual fire safety statement

Every year, the owner of a building or premises must provide us and Fire and Rescue NSW with a statement certifying preventative measures work properly.

When you need to do this

For new or altered buildings, the first certificate, called a fire safety certificate, must be submitted for each new or altered essential fire safety measure. No fee applies.

At least once within every 12 months after the fire safety certificate is completed, an annual fire safety statement must be supplied to us, certifying an accredited practitioner (fire safety) has inspected the building and found that all required fire-safety measures are compliant with relevant standards.

For existing buildings, every year, within 12 months of the date of the previous annual fire safety statement, the owner of a building must submit an annual fire safety statement to us certifying that each of the measures listed in the most recent fire safety schedule installed on the premises remain capable of operating to the standards listed in the schedule.

What you need to do

1.  Complete an annual fire safety statement

The annual fire statement template and supporting guidelines can be found on the Department of Planning and Environment website

Supplementary fire safety statements

Sometimes a fire safety statement must be supplemented with an additional statement multiple times a year. The frequency will be stated on the premises’ fire-safety schedule.

A supplementary fire safety statement applies to fire-control measures so it’s important that they must be certified more frequently than every 12 months. From 1 October 2017 building owners will need to choose a competent fire safety practitioner.

2.  Lodge your fire safety statement

Lodge the statement with us and Fire and Rescue NSW.  You can lodge the statement with Ku-ring-gai Council by email, post or in person: 

  1. krg@krg.nsw.gov.au.
  2. Locked Bag 1006, Gordon NSW 2072.
  3. Council Chambers: 818 Pacific Highway, Gordon 2072.

We charge an administration fee for the handling and management of submitted annual fire safety statements. The fee came into effect on 1 July 2015. An invoice will be provided in line with our fees and charges, which will set out the payment conditions.

Can’t lodge your fire safety statement?

In situations where you cannot lodge an annual fire safety statement by the due date, building owners are to contact Council. Extension of time to lodge the Annual Fire Safety Statements will not be provided outside the three months period from when the Annual Fire Safety Statement is due.  

Ku-ring-gai Council is unlikely to approve applications involving poor building site management.

Fire safety practitioners

Assessments for fire safety statements are to be undertaken by an accredited practitioner (fire safety). Building owners who submit yearly, or supplementary fire safety statements will need to choose an accredited practitioner (fire safety).

To select an accredited practitioner (fire safety) please visit the Fire Protection Association Australia website.

Preparing your fire statement

Essential fire safety measures

These measures include installations, equipment or forms of construction that will protect occupants of a building in the event of fire or other emergencies. They include:

  • automatic fire detection and alarm systems;
  • automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinkler systems;
  • emergency lighting and exit signs;
  • fire hose reels, fire hydrants and portable fire extinguishers;
  • fire doors and mechanical air-handling systems;
  • lightweight fire-resistant construction materials.

Fire safety schedules

Fire safety schedules list the measures required to be installed and the standard they need to achieve. A fire safety schedule can be issued:

  • by the Ku-ring-gai Council or an accredited certifier in relation to a construction or complying development certificate;
  • by the Ku-ring-gai Council with a fire safety order;
  • by the Ku-ring-gai Council in some cases with a development consent, such as for a change of use in an existing building.  

A fire safety schedule is only applicable if any of the above occurred after 1988. You can obtain a copy of the latest fire safety schedule from the Ku-ring-gai Council.

Penalties

It is an offence to fail to provide the statement. Substantial and continuing weekly penalty notices apply for this offence:

  • 1 week late $1,000;
  • 2 weeks late an additional $2,000;
  • 3 weeks late an additional $3,000;
  • 4 weeks late an additional $4,000.

Although it is not required to do so by law, the Ku-ring-gai Council sends a courtesy reminder letter to the owner of affected premises care of the address provided for rates and notices. However, we accept no responsibility for any reliance upon it and the legal responsibility for providing the statement when it's due rests with the owner of the premises.

Failure to submit an annual fire safety statement could also lead to legal proceedings in the Land and Environment Court, where the maximum penalty for a breach is $110,000.

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