AFSS vs supplementary fire safety statement: what's the difference

Two different statements cover two different categories of fire safety measure in NSW. Here is what separates them, when a supplementary statement applies, and what to do if your schedule lists a critical measure.

Two different statements cover two different categories of measure on a NSW building's fire safety schedule. The annual fire safety statement (AFSS) is the one most building owners already know: issued once a year, covering every essential fire safety measure on the schedule. The supplementary fire safety statement (SFS) is far less familiar, because far fewer measures trigger it. It only applies to the critical fire safety measures on that same schedule, assessed at whatever interval the schedule itself sets, which can be more often than yearly.

Essential vs critical: the split that decides which statement applies

Fire and Rescue NSW's own guidance states that there are two different types of fire safety schedule, dealing with essential fire safety measures and critical fire safety measures respectively. Essential measures are the ones covered by the AFSS, assessed once a year. Critical measures are the smaller subset the schedule itself flags for more frequent assessment, tracked separately through the SFS.

Whether a specific measure on your building falls into the critical category is a decision made when the fire safety schedule was drawn up, not something a building owner chooses afterwards. Check your own current schedule to see whether any measure carries a critical-measure assessment interval; if none does, the AFSS is the only statement your building will ever need to lodge.

What a supplementary fire safety statement actually certifies

A supplementary fire safety statement is a statement issued by the owner of a building to the effect that each critical fire safety measure specified in the statement has been assessed by an accredited practitioner (fire safety) as capable of performing to at least the standard required by the current fire safety schedule for the building. That is the same certifying structure as the AFSS, applied to a narrower, more frequently checked set of measures.

The annual fire safety statement, by comparison, must be issued each year and cover the essential fire safety measures that apply to a building, and it also verifies that an accredited practitioner has inspected and confirmed the building's exit systems comply with the Regulation. The AFSS carries that extra exit-system confirmation; the SFS does not, because it is scoped to the critical measure itself.

The legal basis: sections 89 and 91

Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021, the building owner must give Fire and Rescue NSW a copy of the annual fire safety statement, in addition to the current fire safety schedule, under section 89. The supplementary fire safety statement, in relation to any critical fire safety measure, in addition to the current fire safety schedule, is a separate obligation under section 91. Two sections, two statements, tied to the same underlying schedule.

When the SFS is due, and what to do with it

Both statements go to Fire and Rescue NSW as soon as practicable after its issue. The Regulation does not set a fixed number of days. For the AFSS, that lodgement timing lines up with the well-known annual anniversary most building owners already track. For the SFS, the trigger is set by the fire safety schedule itself for each critical measure, so a schedule with more than one critical measure on different intervals can generate more than one supplementary statement in a year.

The building owner is required to ensure a copy of the annual or supplementary fire safety statement and current fire safety schedule are prominently displayed in the building. The same display rule covers both statement types, so a building that lodges an SFS displays it alongside, not instead of, the AFSS.

Does your building actually have a critical fire safety measure?

Most residential and small commercial buildings in NSW carry a fire safety schedule made up entirely of essential measures, which means the AFSS is the only statement they will ever lodge. The SFS becomes relevant on buildings, typically larger, higher-risk or specialist occupancies, where the schedule itself nominates one or more measures for more-than-annual assessment.

Your own fire safety schedule is the only authoritative source for whether this applies to you. If it lists a critical fire safety measure with its own assessment interval, treat that interval as a second compliance date to track alongside your AFSS anniversary, not a replacement for it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a supplementary fire safety statement if I already lodge an AFSS every year?

Only if your building's fire safety schedule lists a critical fire safety measure. The AFSS and SFS cover different measure categories, so most buildings lodge only the AFSS. A building with a critical measure on its schedule needs both, on their own separate timing.

How do I know if a measure on my schedule is critical rather than essential?

Your current fire safety schedule states this directly for each measure it lists, including the assessment interval that applies. If you cannot see the distinction on your copy, your council or the practitioner who prepared the schedule can confirm it.

Does the supplementary fire safety statement replace the annual one?

No. They cover different things. The AFSS certifies the essential measures and the building's exit systems every year. The SFS certifies specific critical measures on their own, often shorter, cycle. A building with a critical measure lodges both.

Who has to receive a copy of a supplementary fire safety statement?

Fire and Rescue NSW, together with the current fire safety schedule, as soon as practicable after the statement is issued, the same requirement that applies to the annual fire safety statement.

Sources

• Fire and Rescue NSW, annual fire safety statements.
• NSW Planning Portal, fire safety certification.
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (NSW).

This is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check requirements and figures with your council and the FPAA register.

More guides

• AFSS compliance checklistThe steps to keep a NSW building's annual fire safety statement on time and valid, in order.
• AFSS cost guide: what drives the priceWhat Sydney providers publish for AFSS certification fees, what drives the price up or down, and why a quote without your schedule is a guess.
• New to owning a building? Your first AFSSIf you have just taken on an existing building, here is what the annual fire safety obligation means for you.
• NSW fire safety compliance statisticsOfficial figures on automatic fire alarm responses and building fire incidents in NSW, drawn from Fire and Rescue NSW published data and open data statistics.
• Accredited practitioner vs competent fire safety practitioner in NSWBoth terms refer to the same specialist role in NSW. The name changed on 1 July 2020. Here is what each means and which one you need for your annual fire safety statement today.
• Fire safety schedule vs AFSS: what is the difference?The schedule is the list of measures a building must have. The AFSS is the yearly proof those measures still work. Here is how the two documents connect.
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