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Wollongong City Council
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Fire Safety

We work to promote fire safety, and help to keep people and property safe.

Fire safety rules apply to all types of buildings, including residential, commercial, retail and industrial property. This covers:

  • New buildings: new development needs to be designed and built to meet fire safety standards.
  • Existing buildings: fire safety measures must be regularly checked and kept in good order.

The building owner is responsible for maintaining fire safety measures. In strata properties, the owners’ corporation or body corporate carries this responsibility.

New Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme

New rules were introduced on 1 July 2020 for accreditation of professionals who can undertake fire safety assessments and endorse fire safety measures. For details, see the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme section of this page.

Smoke alarms are a simple and effective way to detect smoke and provide a warning when there is a fire. Smoke alarms can potentially save lives and help reduce property damage in the event of a fire.

By law, smoke alarms are compulsory in every residential dwelling or unit. This includes private homes, as well as other places people sleep like hotels and boarding houses.

For more information about smoke alarms, see:

Change your batteries!

You should change your smoke alarm’s back-up battery at least once a year. Pick a date that’s easy for you to remember. It could be the day you change your clocks back after daylight savings, or any other date that works for you.

Essential fire safety measures are features in a building to protect its occupants during a fire or other emergency. This can include:

  • Automatic fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers
  • Fire hose reels
  • Fire hydrants
  • Automatic fire detection and alarm systems
  • Fire doors
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Smoke exhaust systems
  • Exit signs
  • Emergency lighting
  • The building’s design
  • Materials used to construct the building.

Council keeps a register of buildings with essential fire safety measures. This includes:

  • Boarding houses
  • Residential flats with two or more storeys
  • Commercial buildings
  • Industrial buildings
  • Professional offices
  • Health care buildings
  • Schools
  • Public car parks.

Find essential fire safety measures for your building

The essential fire safety measures for your building can be found on your fire safety schedule.

You can find a copy of the fire safety schedule for your building through our Online Services portal by following these steps:

  1. Click the button below to go to Online Services. There is no need to log in or register.
  2. Select the Application Tracking icon.
  3. Enter your ES reference (shown at the top of Council correspondence) in the search box, then click the magnifying glass button to search.
  4. Click on the applicable ES, then select View to open the application.
  5. Select Attachments.
  6. You can now Click to Download the fire safety schedule as a PDF document.

    The schedule will show the due / lapsed date indicating when the next annual fire safety statement is due.

A fire safety schedule is a document describing all of the essential fire safety measures in a building. It can include measures that already exist, as well as ones that are proposed.

The fire safety schedule lists the minimum standard of performance that each safety measure must be able to operate to. This standard will usually refer to the Building Code of Australia, an Australian Standard, or both.

A fire safety schedule is issued:

  • With a construction certificate or complying development approval for new building work
  • With a development or complying development consent when there is a change in the use of a building (eg converting a shop to an office)
  • With a fire safety order.

Find your fire safety schedule

You can find a copy of the fire safety schedule for your building through our Online Services portal by following these steps:

  1. Click the button below to go to Online Services. There is no need to log in or register.
  2. Select the Application Tracking icon.
  3. Enter your ES reference (shown at the top of Council correspondence) in the search box, then click the magnifying glass button to search.
  4. Click on the applicable ES, then select View to open the application.
  5. Select Attachments.
  6. You can now Click to Download the fire safety schedule as a PDF document.

    The schedule will show the due / lapsed date indicating when the next annual fire safety statement is due.

Request to reissue a Fire Safety Schedule

The owner of a building can ask for a fire safety schedule to be reissued.

A fire safety schedule may only be reissued if a Council is satisfied that:

  1. the schedule has been lost or destroyed, or
  2. there are errors or omissions that require correction

A fire safety schedule cannot be reissued if the error or omission is due to:

  1. building work or
  2. a change in plans or specifications for the fire safety measures of the building.

To apply for the reissue of a fire safety schedule, please complete the Request to Reissue – Fire Safety Schedule form PDF, 280.68 KB and return it to council@wollongong.nsw.gov.au

Make sure you attach any supporting documents to the email.

More information can be found under section 80A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification & Fire Safety) Regulation 2021

Every 12 months the building owner or a person acting on their behalf must arrange an inspection by an accredited practitioner (fire safety).

The NSW Government has a handy guide to selecting accredited practitioner (fire safety), which you can download below.

Selecting an accredited practitioner (fire safety): A guide for building owners who must issue fire safety statements

The accredited practitioner (fire safety) will check that:

  • all required fire safety measures are installed, and
  • all fire safety measures meet the required performance standard.

Sometimes an owner may be required to inspect safety measures more often than once a year. This usually happens in cases where the safety measures are considered to be of critical importance.

The Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) began on 1 July 2020 with the commencement of the Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018 (the Act)

This means that, as of 1 July, 2020, practitioners must be accredited under FPAS if they wish to perform regulated work under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 (EPAR).

Only accredited practitioners (fire safety) previously known as competent fire safety practitioners can now undertake Fire Safety Assessments (FSAs) - for those who endorse essential fire safety measures on annual or supplementary fire safety statements under Part 9, Divisions 5 and 7 of the EPAR.

You may also refer to the new Act’s savings provisions related to competent fire safety practitioners. For details see clause 14, Schedule 1 of the Act.

To read more about the scheme, visit the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA) website. This site also includes a searchable list of accredited practitioners.

Please note: the building owner is responsible for ensuring that each fire safety measure is endorsed by an accredited practitioner(fire safety) who is accredited to endorse that particular fire safety measure.

The building owner or their representative must regularly provide documentation to both Council and NSW Fire and Rescue to confirm they are meeting fire safety standards.

See our Fire Safety Certificates and Statements page for details.

New laws for buildings with combustible cladding were introduced after the tragic 2017  fire at Grenfell Tower in London, and the fire at Melbourne’s Lacrosse Building in 2014.

The owners of the following types of buildings that are two or more storeys and have external combustible cladding must register their building with the NSW Government:

  • residential apartments
  • shared accommodation
  • aged care
  • public assembly buildings.

Visit the NSW Department of Planning website for details.

We have a proactive inspection program to make sure buildings in our city meet fire safety requirements. Building owners are charged a fee for inspections.

Our inspection program gives priority to buildings that pose the greatest risk to safety, like boarding houses, nightclubs and buildings without a Fire Safety Schedule.

We may also inspect buildings if we get a complaint about them, or if they’re being looked at for development approval or change of use.

If an inspection uncovers problems, Council may ask for an independent expert’s report to identify what changes are needed to meet current standards.

Council or Fire and Rescue NSW can issue Fire Safety Orders if a building does not meet the correct fire safety standards.

There are two types of Fire Safety Orders:

Emergency Orders

Emergency Orders are issued when immediate action is required to reduce fire risk.
The owner should contact Council as soon as possible to confirm that they have complied, or will comply with this order.

If the owner does not act immediately they will face court action.

Notice of Intention to Serve an Order

This notice is issued for lower-level risks, or where extensive work is needed that can’t be done straight away.

If you want to appeal a Fire Safety Order or ask for more time, your request must be made using the form below before the expiry date on the Notice of Order:

Fire Safety Notice of Intention / Order – Representation Request Form PDF, 95.05 KB

The form must be signed by the building owner or their representative.

If you are requesting more time to complete works, you must attach a program of works with scheduled completion dates.

Council will advise you in writing of the outcome of your request.

We try to work with building owners and help them meet their legal obligations for fire safety. However, building owners can face penalties and enforcement action for:

Showing 1 - 13 of 13 items
Parent HierachyArea Fee NameFee Name GSTGST Current Fee (incl. GST)Current Fee (incl. GST)
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameAnnual Fire Safety Statement - Request to Stay Penalty Infringement Notice (AFSS Overdue) GSTY Current Fee$635.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameRegistration of Final Fire Safety Certificate Submitted with Occupation Certificate (New Building) GSTY Current Fee$129.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameAdministration Fee - Annual Fire Safety Statement received late (>7 days from due date) GSTY Current Fee$200.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameAdministration Fee - Follow-up processing each incorrect Annual Fire Safety Statement submission GSTY Fee DescriptionRelevant renewal administration service fee
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameRenewal administration service fee for the first licence - S608 of the LGA (1-5 fire safety measures servicing the building) GSTY Current Fee$128.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameRenewal administration service fee for the first licence - S608 of the LGA (6-10 fire safety measures serving the building) GSTY Current Fee$175.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameRenewal administration service fee for the first licence - S608 of the LGA (11+ fire safety measures serving the building) GSTY Current Fee$250.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameRenewal administration service fee for second and subsequent licences associated with the same property - S608 of LGA GSTY Fee Description50% of corresponding fee above
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameBoarding House & Fire Safety Non-compliance Inspections - first inspection GSTY Current Fee$339.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameBoarding House & Fire Safety - Follow-up Inspections GSTY Current Fee$252.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameAnnual Fire Safety Statement - Request to stay penalty infringement notice GSTN Current Fee$430.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameCompliance Cost Notice - In respect of any costs or expenses relating to the preparation or serving of the notice of intention to give an order pursuant to the EP&A Act 1979 issued under Schedule 5 Development Control Orders - Part 2 Fire Safety Orders and a Building Product Rectification Order pursuant to the Building Products (Safety) Act 2017 GSTN Current Fee$750.00
Parent HierachyDevelopment Assessment | Fire Safety Fee NameCompliance Cost Notice - In respect of any costs or expenses relating to an investigation that leads to the giving of an order pursuant to the EP&A Act 1979 issued under Schedule 5 Development Control Orders - Part 2 Fire Safety Orders and a Building Product Rectification Order pursuant to the Building Products (Safety) Act 2017 GSTN Current Fee$750.00

You can also read our Fire Safety Policy PDF, 69.82 KB for information about how we act to promote fire safety and help people meet their obligations in this area.

See Also