Initial fire safety report

Amendments to the Fire and Rescue NSW Regulation 2023, including changes to fee structure and prices, come into effect from 1 February 2026. Under these regulations, an upfront assessment fee must be paid prior to submitting a fire safety application or request.

To facilitate the processing of the assessment fee ahead of the application, and not cause delay to your application timeframes, please commence the payment process four working days before the application is to be lodged. Applications will not be processed unless the assessment fee has been paid in full.

Visit Pay upfront fee for further information.

Advisory

An initial fire safety report (IFSR) is a written report specifying whether, on the basis of the documents provided, FRNSW is satisfied that:

  • any performance solution relating to fire safety within a Class 2 to Class 9 building will meet the performance requirements it is intended to meet, and
  • the fire hydrants in the proposed fire hydrant system will be accessible for use by FRNSW, and
  • the couplings in the fire hydrant system will be compatible with the fire appliances and equipment used by FRNSW.
Overview of service

Under section 27 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (EP&A(DCFS) Reg.), a certifier is required to request an IFSR from FRNSW for building work involving a performance solution for a fire safety requirement in any Class 2-9 building.

Under section 24 of the EP&A(DCFS) Reg., this includes any modification to a development resulting in a new or modified construction certificate (CC) to which Part 3 Division 3 is, or remains, applicable.

On receipt of a completed application, including all supporting documentation, FRNSW will:

  • notify the certifier of the document receipt date within 2 business days, and
  • assess and notify the certifier within 10 business days after the document receipt date if an IFSR will be provided or not.

If an IFSR is being provided, FRNSW will provide the report to the certifier within 25 business days after the document receipt date.

Note: A certifier may only issue a CC for relevant building work in accordance with section 28 of the EP&A(DCFS) Reg..

  1. Initial
    Certifier receives CC application
  2. Business day 0
    Plans & specs sent to FRNSW
  3. Business day 2
    Document receipt date
  4. Business day 10
    Notify
  5. Business day 25
    Comments
  6. After
    Consider, then implement or revise
Charges for service

The following charges apply to the provision of this service:

  • Assessment of application for initial fire safety report — $1,000
  • Provision of initial fire safety report — $192 per hour of labour

For a full description of the charges applicable including terms, payment options, and applying for a waiver or reduction of the charges, please refer to the fees and charges page.

Application process

From Monday 2 February, all applications and requests submitted to Fire Safety require the prescribed assessment fee to be paid in advance.

To facilitate the processing of the assessment fee ahead of the application, and not cause delay to your application timeframes, please commence the payment process four (4) working days before the application is to be lodged.

To request an assessment fee invoice prior to submission—regardless of whether you have an existing FRNSW SAP customer number—visit Pay upfront fee. Payment instructions will be provided with the issued invoice.

The ‘Agreement’ section of the form requires you to enter the payee’s SAP customer number and assessment fee invoice number.

Applications and requests will only be processed once these details have been provided and the assessment fee has been paid in full.

To apply for an IFSR, the following must be completed and submitted to firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au:

  1. Initial fire safety report application form
  2. A copy of the application for CC
  3. A copy of relevant proposed plans and specifications, including:
    • the finalised performance solution report (PSR) (as to be referenced by the fire safety schedule). The PSR must be the same version that is subject of the application for CC being applied for.
    • overall site plan for the building/s.
    • relevant floor and elevation plans for the building.
    • schematic diagrams of all hydraulic fire safety systems (e.g. hydrant system, sprinkler system/s).
    • recent statement of available pressure and flow (or equivalent) from water network utility operator.
    • relevant product specifications and/or product conformity documents (e.g. hose connections).

Note: The application must include all relevant information. If any attachment exceeds 35 MB, please request a FRNSW SharePoint folder for uploading any large files.

Useful information

Position statements and technical information sheets

The following position statements and technical information sheets apply to the IFSR process:

Note: The applicant should refer to all FRNSW position statements and determine how they may apply to the subject of any request for IFSR.

Further information on process