Written report - Fire safety study

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 may be lodged after the assessment fee has been paid in full.

Visit Pay upfront fee for further information.

Liaison

A condition of consent can be imposed on development under a relevant planning instrument when the development approval is granted. The condition of consent will require formal engagement with FRNSW.

Overview of service

Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, State planning controls provide for the assessment of ‘hazardous and offensive development’ during the planning stage (i.e. pre-DA approval).

A condition of consent can be imposed on development deemed hazardous or potentially hazardous under a relevant planning instrument when the development approval is granted. The condition will generally require an owner to:

undertake a fire safety study (FSS) in accordance with Hazardous Industry Planning Advisory Paper No. 2 – Fire Safety Study Guidelines (HIPAP No. 2), and
submit the FSS to FRNSW prior to the commencement of the construction stage. The FSS must be approved by FRNSW or developed to its satisfaction.

Note: Where development incorporates performance-based design, the FSS should be undertaken prior to seeking consultation on the performance-based design brief.

FRNSW will assess the application and provide written comments on the FSS.

For further information on the FSS process, please refer to Fire safety study (FSS) process.

Charges for service

The following charges apply to the provision of this service:

Assessment of advisory, assessment or consultancy service — $373
Provision of advisory, assessment or consultancy service — $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 receipt 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 a written report regarding a condition of consent - fire safety study, the following must be completed and submitted to firesafety@fire.nsw.gov.au:

FRNSW written report application form
A copy of the fire safety study.

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

Guidance materials

The following guidance materials apply to the fire safety study process:

Position statement - Fire safety study process
Fire safety study (FSS) process
HIPAP No. 2 – Fire Safety Study Guidelines
Technical information sheet - Large-scale external lithium-ion battery energy storage systems – Fire safety study considerations

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

Further information on process