What NSW building owners and managers should expect with AS 1851-2012 becoming mandatory by February next year

From 13 February 2026, the Australian Standard 1851-2012 Routine service of fire systems and equipment will become mandatory in New South Wales, bringing it in line with all other states.

This means, at the time of this blog, NSW building owners and managers have around six months to prepare for the change to ensure that they comply by February next year.

Why has AS 1851 become mandatory in NSW?

Previously, each state had its own fire safety standards under their legislation, with NSW not enforcing AS 1851. However, governments made the call for a nationwide approach designed to ensure all fire safety systems and equipment is in optimal working condition at any given period, especially in the event of a fire.

The decision to mandate AS1851-2012 follows a comprehensive review of fire safety in buildings, undertaken by the NSW government. The fire safety reforms were introduced in 2022 to make buildings safer and increase compliance on fire safety measures.

As a result, changes were made to the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2012 in December 2022 to reduce life safety risks, damage to property and the number and cost of fire safety defects.

What is AS 1851?

Updated over many years of building evolution, AS 1851 standardises the routine maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment in Australia.

First introduced in 1989, AS 1851 is considered the industry standard, aligns with community expectations, and details the requirements for the frequency of inspections, maintenance and reporting on all fire protection systems, including fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems, fire hoses and reels, fire water storage tanks, fire detection systems, special hazard systems, emergency planning, and fire blankets.

What does this mean for the building owners and managers? 

For our current customers, the changes required from February 2026 will be minimal (if any at all), as Wormald has already been maintaining customer fire safety measures to meet AS1851-2012. For those who are not currently Wormald customers, working towards the compliance deadline of February 13 in 2026 is essential and requires considered planning. Wormald can assist NSW building owners with their responsibilities. We encourage Wormald customers to contact their local branch to discuss any concerns or questions ahead of these changes being implemented.

Notable Dates

With the deferral of the mandate in NSW that was published in January, there are a set of key dates below that will assist fire practitioners and building owners ensure that they comply. We will keep this page updated as any further changes unfold.

📅 13 February 2025 - Fire Safety Schedules can reflect work resulting from compliance action taken by Building Commission NSW

📅 13 February 2026 - AS1851.2012 will be mandated requiring building owners to maintain their essential safety measures to this standard

📅 13 February 2027 or 18 months after an accreditation scheme is approved - Issuing of a Fire System Certificate can only be issued by an accredited practitioner (Fire Safety Certification or FSC)

Updates

As updates are published by NSW Government or other key stakeholders, they will be published below.

March 2025 - The NSW Building Comission has established the NSW Fire Safety Industry Reference Group (FSIRG) to advise on regulatory reforms, beginning with the delayed implementation of AS 1851.

 Chaired by Matt Press, Assistant Building Commissioner, the committee includes key industry bodies, Fire and Rescue NSW, local councils, and independent advisors. FPA Australia, as a significant industry stakeholder, is a member of the FSIRG, which, at its inaugural meeting, established four primary work streams:  

1. Technical,  

2. Strata Managers/Owners 

3. Enforcement and Regulators, and  

4. Practitioners. 

31 January 2025 - Government amendment to the "Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Amendment Regulation 2025" to defer the mandate of AS1851 and other changes as per the above notable dates.

https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/sl-2025-17

2021 Building Commission NSW commissioned a report by a working group of industry experts to identify ways the NSW Government can improve fire safety in class 2 residential buildings.

https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/building-commission/building-and-construction-resources/research-on-fire-safety-reforms