Request an emergency plans 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.

Liaison

All workplaces are required to prepare, maintain and implement an emergency plan (EP) that is effective and appropriate to the workplace.

Certain site types require referral to FRNSW for mandatory consultation, mandatory lodgement, and/or discretionary assessment —

  • Mandatory consultation in preparing, developing, reviewing, or revising their EP and/or emergency services information package (ESIP), during which FRNSW may provide written recommendations for the following:
    • licenced or determined major hazard facility (MHF)
    • licensed explosives site
    • coal or underground mine site
    • site/building with imposed condition of consent must consult with FRNSW in preparing, developing, reviewing, or revising their EP and/or emergency services information package (ESIP).
  • Mandatory lodgement of EP and discretionary assessment of the content and effectiveness of the EP for the following:
    • manifest quantity workplace
    • workplace storing or handling 25,000kg or more of lithium batteries.
Overview of service

Under section 43 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (WHS Reg.), every workplace must prepare, maintain and implement an emergency plan (EP). In most cases this is done in accordance with AS 3745–2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities.

However, in some cases the EP must satisfy additional requirements such as being developed in accordance with Hazardous Industry Planning Advisory Paper (HIPAP) No 1 Emergency Planning, or being provided with additional documentation such as an Emergency Services Information Package (ESIP).

MHF (determined)1 or (licenced)2, explosives site3, coal or underground mine,4 or imposed condition of consent5

When it is a mandatory requirement or condition for the workplace (i.e. site) to consult with FRNSW when preparing, developing, reviewing, or revising their EP, a request to prepare an emergency plans report must be made to FRNSW. FRNSW will assess the request to prepare emergency plans report and may provide written advice or recommendations on the EP and/or ESIP within the report.

Any written advice or recommendations provided by FRNSW must be incorporated into the final EP and ESIP.

Note: Where the revised EP and ESIP must be lodged with FRNSW, or is requested by FRNSW, no additional charge will be incurred.

MQW5 or workplace storing or handling 25,000kg or more of lithium batteries (incl. batteries contained within energy storage systems, electric vehicles or plant)6

When it is a mandatory requirement or condition for the workplace (i.e.) site to lodge a copy of the EP with FRNSW, a request to prepare an emergency plans report must be made to FRNSW.

FRNSW will assess the request to prepare emergency plans report and may provide written advice or recommendations on the EP and/or ESIP within the report.

Any written advice or recommendations provided by FRNSW must be incorporated into the final EP and ESIP.

Note: A revised or reviewed EP and ESIP must be lodged with FRNSW and will not incur any charge.

1 Major hazard facility (determined):

  • Under section 557(2) of the WHS Reg., operator of a determined MHF must consult with FRNSW in preparing and developing the site’s EP, and under section 559(3) in reviewing and revising the site’s EP.
  • Under section 557(5) of the WHS Reg., operator must give a copy of the EP to FRNSW.

2 Major hazard facility (licenced):

  • Under section 569(4) of the WHS Reg., the operator of a licenced MHF must consult with FRNSW in reviewing and revising the site’s EP.
  • Under section 567(4) and section 557(5) of the WHS Reg., operator must give a copy of the EP to FRNSW.

3 Explosives site:

  • Under section 42(3) of the Explosives Regulation 2024, the licence holder must consult with FRNSW in developing or reviewing the EP for a site where more than 50kg NEQ of explosives or more than 50 tonnes of explosive precursors is stored and implement—so far as reasonably practicable)—written recommendations.
  • Under section 42(5) of the Explosives Regulation 2024, the EP must be lodged with FRNSW where the site is in a fire district. FRNSW will request a copy of the EP where the site is located in a rural fire district.

4 Coal or underground mine: 

Note: Underground mines (not coal) with less than 5 workers and opal mines are excepted.

  • Under section 92(1) of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022, the operator of a coal or underground mine must consult with FRNSW in preparing the EP when FRNSW is the primary emergency service responsible for the area in which the mine is located, or may be required to participate in implementing the EP.
  • Under section 94(2) of the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation 2022, operator must give a copy of the EP to FRNSW.

5 Condition of consent:

Note: An ESIP is often imposed as a condition of consent on the owner or operator of a given site or building based on identified hazards and risks.

  • Under section 4.17 of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979, an authority may impose a condition, including by way of a statutory instrument, code or guide, that requires the owner or operator of a given workplace to consult with FRNSW when preparing, developing, reviewing, or revising their EP.

6 Manifest quantity workplace:

  • Under section 361(2) of the WHS Reg., the person conducting business or undertaking must give a copy of the EP for the workplace to FRNSW.
  • Under section 361(3) of the WHS Reg., where FRNSW make a written recommendation about the content or effectiveness of the plan, the EP must be revised in accordance with the recommendation.

7 25,000kg lithium ion batteries:

  • Under section 361(2) of the WHS Reg., the person conducting business or undertaking must give a copy of the EP for the workplace to FRNSW.
  • Under section 361(3) of the WHS Reg., where FRNSW make a written recommendation about the content or effectiveness of the plan, the EP must be revised in accordance with the recommendation.
Charges for service

The following charges apply to the provision of this service:

  • Assessment of request to prepare emergency plans report — $122
  • Provision of emergency plans report — $407

For a full description of the charges applicable including terms, payment options, 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 request an emergency plans report, the following must be completed and submitted to firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au:

  1. Request to prepare emergency plans report form
  2. An emergency plan developed for the site in accordance with the Hazardous Industry Planning Advisory Paper (HIPAP) No 1 Emergency Planning
  3. A hazardous chemicals manifest and manifest site plan of the workplace developed in accordance with Schedule 12 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025. For examples of a manifest and site plan refer to Appendix D and E of the Notifications for Schedule 11 Hazardous chemicals and abandoned tanks
  4. Relevant and current safety data sheets (SDS), in accordance with the requirements of schedule 7 of the WHS Reg.
  5. An emergency services information manifest (if applicable to the site/building
  6. An Emergency Services Information Package (ESIP) prepared in accordance with FRNSW Fire safety guideline – Emergency services information package and tactical fire plans.

Note: Refer to Emergency planning for additional site-specific requirements.

Note: The hazardous chemicals manifest will assist identifying hazards that require strategies and tactics be developed in the EP and/or ESIP.

FRNSW will acknowledge receipt of the emergency plan by email. If no acknowledgement email is received within 21 days, please contact (02) 9742 7434 to confirm the emergency plan was received. If being provided, FRNSW will endeavour to provide the emergency plans report within 40 business days.

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

Lodgment of revised or reviewed emergency plan

EPs which have been revised or reviewed after the provision of a FRNSW emergency plan report must be submitted with FRNSW.

To lodge a revised or reviewed emergency plan, email firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au, quoting the Fire and Rescue NSW application reference number along with any additional relevant information required. Please ensure that any amended documentation is denoted appropriately by adding corresponding version control details within the revised or reviewed EP.

FRNSW will acknowledge receipt of the revised or reviewed emergency plan by email. If no acknowledgement email is received within 21 days, please contact (02) 9742 7434 to confirm the emergency plan was received. If being provided, FRNSW will endeavour to provide the emergency plans report within 40 business days.

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

Useful information

Further information on process