From 13 February 2023, building practitioners must lodge a copy of the fire safety certificate on the NSW Planning Portal when submitting a building compliance declaration under the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020. 

To support this new requirement, building owners must now also provide the fire safety certificate to their building practitioner as soon as possible after the fire safety certificate is issued.

These new requirements are part of a package of reforms introduced by the NSW Government in December 2022 that aim to reduce life safety risks, damage to property and the incidence and cost of fire safety defects. They incorporate feedback from the public consultation open from August to October 2022.

The reforms will begin in stages to make it easier for industry and property owners to comply. More information about each stage and when it will come into effect is available on the NSW Fair Trading website. 

How to upload the fire safety certificate?

From 13 February to May 2023, building practitioners can upload the fire safety certificate using the “Other Regulated designs” document type during the Building Compliance Declaration lodgement process.

After May 2023, the Planning Portal will allow the upload of the fire safety certificate as a “Fire Safety Certificate” document type.

For more information 
Contact the MBA Safety Housing & Technical Department at housing.technical@mbansw.asn.au or phone: (02) 8586 3555