Upgrading your building’s fire safety equipment is a proactive step that goes beyond meeting minimum standards, it's about protecting lives, property, and giving everyone peace of mind.
Some older buildings may not meet today’s fire safety requirements. Choosing to voluntarily upgrade shows your commitment to the safety and wellbeing of everyone who uses the building and helps ensure you're on track with current fire safety regulations.
What’s involved?
- Seek expert advice: Talk to a qualified building practitioner—such as a BCA Consultant, registered Building Surveyor (unrestricted), or Fire Engineer. They’ll assess whether your current fire safety measures are enough to:
- Protect people in the event of a fire,
- Allow safe evacuation,
- Prevent fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
- Get quotes: Obtain several independent quotes for the proposed upgrade work.
- Reach agreement: Make sure all property owners agree to proceed and set a reasonable timeframe for the work to be completed.
- Check in with Council: Before starting any work, contact Council or a Planning Consultant to discuss the approval process. You may need to lodge a development application or a complying development application.
Based on your building’s age and use, they’ll advise whether a full or partial upgrade to meet the Building Code of Australia is recommended.
If Council identifies a fire risk due to inadequate safety measures, a fire safety order may be issued. In this case, the building owner must ensure the order is followed.
Please send us a copy of your expert’s recommendations, including details of existing and proposed fire safety measures and the relevant minimum performance standards.
After the upgrade
Once the work is complete, a fire safety statement must be submitted to Council every 12 months. This confirms that your fire safety measures have been inspected and continue to meet the required standards.