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- 9 March 2006
Fire Safety Statements
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Page: 21446
Mr DARYL MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [6.02 p.m.], by leave: I place on the record a concern of Mr Lindsay Vidler, who received correspondence from the Wagga Wagga City Council which stated:
Under the provisions of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000, any building that is subject to the installation of essential Fire Services, (eg the fire safety measures listed in the attached form) the owner of the premises must lodge with the relevant Local Government Authority and the Commission of the New South Wales Fire Services, an annual fire statement.
The annual or supplementary fire statement indicates to the authorities that the fire safety measures have been tested by a properly qualified person to a standard no less than that which the standard was designed and implemented.
Failure to submit the Fire Statement to the Authorities on an annual basis incurs an on the spot fine, ranging from the $500.00 to $2000.00, depending on the period of time after the specified expiry date.
Council will be instituting an administration and service fee of fifty eight dollars, ($58.00) to all owners of Commercial and Industrial premises that are subject to this legislative requirement. This will include Registration, Annual Reminder, and Referral of Statements to the Commissioner of the New South Wales Fire Services.
I have enclosed a blank form for the Annual/Supplementary fire statement for you to complete and return to Council with the prescribed administration fee prior to 28th February 2006 …
The Annual/Supplementary Fire Safety Statement only applies to any one of the following instances to those buildings erected, altered, added to, or had a change of use after 1973 and includes:
• Industrial Buildings (Factories and Warehouses) and Commercial Buildings (eg. Shops, Hotels, Motels, Offices) with a floor area greater than and equal to 300mm2.
• Other buildings including residential flat buildings, boarding houses, healthcare buildings, aged care buildings and schools.
I do not have a problem with fire inspections and it is important that buildings comply with the regulations. However, I do have a problem with the process under which council is required to administer this process at a cost of $58 and the owner of the property is required to provide certification that the building has been inspected. The forms that must be filled out and returned are simple, but I would suggest that this process could be streamlined even further. It is necessary to employ a qualified person to assess the property to ensure that it complies with fire safety measures, but I am perplexed as to why the certificate is so simple. It looks like it has been prepared by a kindergarten student. It states, "Essential/critical fire safety measures: (Tick appropriate Box)".
Some of the categories that are to be ticked include access panels, doors and hoppers to fire-resisting shafts, automatic fail-safe devices, emergency lifts, fire seals protecting openings in fire-resisting components of the building and hose reels systems. This is a bureaucratic document that serves no purpose. It does not expand on information that New South Wales Fire Services requires for its records. There must be a simpler way for the experts to comply with the regulations. The document further states:
A copy of the certificate together with the relevant fire schedule must be forwarded to be Council and the Commissioner of the New South Wales Fire Services.
A copy of the certificate together with the relevant fire safety schedule must be prominently displayed in the building.
The certificate is a poor example of a fire safety statement indicating that a building complies with relevant fire safety requirements. I suggest that the Minister should redraft the document and simplify the process.
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