Frequently asked questions

Advisory

Common frequently asked questions regarding business undertaken by the Fire Safety Advisory Unit can be found here. Please also refer to other unit FAQ pages if relevant.

If your general question is not addressed here, you can ask us a question.

How long will my PDBD/IFSR application take to review?

For PBDB applications, please refer to Performance-based design brief consultation.

For IFSR applications, please refer to Initial fire safety report.

My client is on a tight timeline, is there any way to fast track my PBDB/IFSR application?

Unfortunately, we are unable expedite any applications based upon any urgency of any proponent.

What if I am notified that a PBDB/IFSR will not be provided for my application?

For PBDB applications, the building owner may proceed with the proposed performance-based design in accordance with section 26(5)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.

For IFSR applications, the certifier may issue construction certificate (CC) for the relevant building work in accordance with section 28(2)(a) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.

What if I need to amend or withdraw my PBDB/IFSR application?

Please notify us of the amendments or withdrawal by emailing firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au quoting the FRN reference number of the application. The FRN reference number can be located in your email from Fire Safety regarding the provision of consultation or report (i.e. the notification sent within 10 business days of the document receipt date).

I have some questions concerning the PBDB/IFSR comments received from FRNSW, who can I contact?

It is best to contact us by emailing firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au and quoting the FRN reference number related to the PBDB/IFSR application. The FRN reference number can be located in your email from Fire Safety regarding the provision of consultation or report (i.e. the notification sent within 10 business days of the document receipt date).

The enquiry will be directed to the relevant reviewer within FRNSW.

Please note that we can only liaise with the respective certifier and fire engineer of the application.

I would like to have a meeting with FRNSW. How do I go about applying for this?

We may facilitate a meeting relating to a PBDB/IFSR application only. Please refer to Request a FRNSW meeting for further details.

Do I need to respond to comments received on my PBDB/IFSR application? If I so, how long will this take?

For PBDB applications, the applicant may choose to respond to the written comments from FRNSW by submitting another revision of PBDB. If you do respond with an amended PBDB, please ensure that you denote it as the appropriate version by adding corresponding details in section 1 ('Document control') within the PBDB.

Please refer to Performance-based design brief consultation for details on the prescribed timeframes associated with PBDB applications.

For IFSR applications, the certifier may choose to submit another IFSR application including an amended PSR responding to a previous IFSR.

Please refer to Initial fire safety report for details on the prescribed timeframe associated with IFSR applications.

What options does the certifier have if they do not agree with a recommended condition provided by FRNSW within the IFSR?

Sections 28(3) and 28(4) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 state that the certifier must provide written notice to FRNSW when not adopting recommendations.

The certifier also is required to provide reasons for not adopting these recommendations.

How long will my Written report – Cladding report take to review?

There are no legislated timeframes relating to this type of report. FRNSW will endeavour to provide a response within a reasonable timeframe.

With the new legislation, do I need to update my existing PBDB form?

Yes! All current and new applications must be on the new forms. There is no grace period for existing forms. With the changes to the charges, all clients now require a SAP Customer Number to be placed on the form. This is only available on the new forms.

Note: The only form changes are to the first page.