Inside Verified - Smarter Site Notices, Essential Services & Worker Credentialing
Across Australia, essential services compliance remains a high-risk area for building owners with state-by-state differences often causing confusion and non-compliance. This month, we break down what essential services are, who’s responsible, and what rules affect your state and region.
Smarter Site Notice capabilities will be rolling out to all Verified clients, providing better control and improved scheduling tools for real-time on-site communication. Also learn how real-time compliance checks are fast becoming the baseline for access control in our new Worker Credentials article.
Complete Compliance Clarity: What are Essential Safety Measures?
Essential Services are the systems and infrastructure that protect people in a building during a fire or emergency. These include active elements like sprinklers, fire alarms, and mechanical systems, as well as passive components like fire doors and fire-rated walls.
While these systems are installed at construction, their performance must be maintained long after the building is occupied. Regular testing, inspections, and reporting are not optional but required under state and territory building legislation. Building owners are therefore legally responsible for ensuring essential services are functional and documented while failure to comply can lead to fines, risk to occupants, and legal exposure.
Achieving Compliance in Your State & Territory
Each state and territory defines and enforces essential service requirements differently with the terminology, documentation, and annual reporting requirements varying:
- Victoria is governed by the Essential Safety Measures Report (AESMR)
- In NSW it’s the Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFFS)
- In Queensland, focus is on the Occupier’s Statement
The following table outlines the relevant Building Act, Building Regulation, and the terms that define essential services, and supporting documentation required.
| State | Building Act | Building Regulation | Defined Term | Annual Compliance Certificate |
| Victoria | Building Act 1993 | Building Regulations 2018, Regulations 223 and 224 | Essential Safety Measures | Annual Essential Safety Measures Report (AESMR) |
| NSW | Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 | Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulations 2000 | Fire Safety Measures | Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFFS) |
| Queensland | Fire Services 1990 | Building Fire Safety Regulations 2008 / Queensland Development Code Part MP6.1 | Fire Safety Installations | Occupier’s Statement |
| South Australia | Development Act 2004 | Development Regulations 1993 and Ministers Specifications South Australia 76 | Essential Safety Provisions | Schedule 16, Form 3 |
| Tasmania | Building Act 2000 / The (Tasmanian) Building Act 2016 | Building Regulation 2004 (amended 2013) / Building Regulations 2016 | Essential Safety and Health Measures | N/A |
| Western Australia | Building Act 2011 | Building Regulation 2012, Building Amendment Regulations 2014 | Safety Measures | N/A |
| Northern Territory | Fire and Emergency Act | Fire and Emergency Regulations | Building Fire Safety Measures / Safety Installations | N/A |
| ACT | N/A | Emergencies Act 2004 | Active Fire Safety Systems and/or Essential Services | N/A |
Understanding how these frameworks apply to your site is key to staying ahead of risk. While some jurisdictions provide formal annual certificates, others rely on internal record keeping and proactive maintenance. Regardless of the location, the responsibility to maintain operational performance remains with the building owner.
If you manage sites across multiple states or territories, it’s critical to ensure your compliance processes are tailored to each jurisdiction. Documented inspections, up-to-date servicing logs, and a clear understanding of local terms and legislation will help you avoid penalties and reduce liability.
If you’re unsure about your obligations or how to meet them, feel free to reach out to the team and Verified and we will guide you through it.
Upcoming Feature Update: Site Notice Tools – More Control, Smarter Alerts
Verified’s Site Notice feature will be receiving an upgrade and is to be rolled out to all clients. With a redesigned interface and expanded admin capabilities, communicating on-site updates will be simpler, faster, and more targeted.
Key Improvements & What It Means For You:
- Cleaner User Interface & Experience – Faster platform access and record editing.
- Scheduling Control – Set when notices start showing and end.
- Complete Access – Site users and admins can create and manage notices as required.
The incoming update ensures all attendees see critical messages right when they need it. If you want to know more about these features please get in touch with the Verified Team.