New Dwellings and Dwellings Being Renovated

From 1 January 2017

  • As part of a building approval process, requiring a Building Certifier, all new homes and renovations should have the required smoke alarms installed pursuant to the requirements of the National Construction Code (NCC), formally known as Building Code of Australia (BCA) and the Building Regulation 2006.
    • Smoke alarms in the dwelling must:
      • be photoelectric (AS3786-2014); and
      • not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
      • be hardwired to the mains power supply with a secondary power source (i.e. battery); and
      • be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together.
    • The legislation requires smoke alarms must be installed in the following locations:
      • - on each storey
      • - in each bedroom
      • - in hallways that connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling
      • - if there is no hallway, between the bedroom and other parts of the storey; and
      • - if there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
    • Smoke alarms must be hardwired, or for existing dwellings, they can also be powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.
    • To get everyone out safely during a house fire, it is essential to also have a well-practised fire escape plan.