NSW Fair Trading has issued additional guidance information on a series of fire safety reforms first announced in December last year.   

The staged reforms were introduced through amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 to improve compliance with fire safety measures and reduce building defects.  

The amendment included changes that increase the involvement of Fire and Rescue NSW in reviewing non-standard fire safety proposals and the requirement of an independent practitioner to assess and verify the performance of newly installed fire safety measures.  

Already-implemented changes have permitted the re-issuing of fire safety schedules to correct minor errors and omissions or replace a missing schedule and require builders to include a fire safety certificate when issuing a building compliance declaration.  

NSW Fair Trading has assembled a “fact sheet” as well as a Q&A for building owners and developers, fire safety practitioners, council officers, and building practitioners to help explain how the affected changes will impact them.  

Future implementations of the amendments are set to be introduced in August this year and February 2025.    

Click here for information on NSW Fair Trading’s website.