Smoke alarm installation project
From 1 January 2017, changes were made to the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 to make Queensland households the safest in Australia in relation to fire safety. The 10-year phased roll-out of interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms will happen over 3 phases starting from 1 January 2017.
The new legislation will require all residential dwellings to have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed in every bedroom, in connecting hallways and on each storey. For further information visit Changes to Queensland's smoke alarm legislation or the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website.
When do you need to have the alarms installed?
- From 1 January 2017 all new dwellings and substantially renovated dwellings must be compliant.
- By 1 January 2022 all leased/rented dwellings and existing government owned dwellings must be compliant.
- By 1 January 2027 all private dwellings must be compliant.
Smoke Alarm Installation Reimbursement
From 1 July 2022, The Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services will support eligible foster, kinship and provisionally approved carers to update smoke alarms in their homes by reimbursing carers up to $1500 through the child related cost process.
In order to receive financial support for the smoke alarm installation, carers need to meet the following criteria:
- The house they are installing needs to be their principal place of residence and they must be the owners of the house (for carers who rent, please contact your landlord as they are responsible for ensuring compliance with smoke alarm requirements already in place)
- Installation is for compliant alarms and can only be claimed once
- Installation must be undertaken by a certified electrician.
Please note: It is important to note that carers seeking reimbursement under the child related cost process are responsible for ensuring the work is done by a certified electrician. The Queensland Government will not reimburse carers who choose to supply and install smoke alarms themselves or through unlicensed suppliers or installers.
Avoid unscrupulous traders. Unscrupulous traders may try to take advantage of the new requirements for smoke alarms. They might: try to sell you non-compliant smoke alarms or say incorrect things about the law to get you to buy more expensive smoke alarms, or tell you the law says you have to have more smoke alarms installed than you really need.
Carers can confirm an electrician's licence number on the following website: https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/find-a-licensed-electrician
More information
For further information on the new legislation and impacts to owners, visit the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website.