The two key pieces of legislation in QLD are called the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.
The goals of the legislation are to ensure that all fire safety installations (including smoke alarms) within a building are maintained.
Part 5A of the Building Fire Safety Regulation deals with interconnected smoke alarm requirements for domestic dwellings and says smoke alarms must;
- Comply with the Australian Standard AS 3786:2014
- Contain a photoelectric sensor, and not also contain an ionization sensor
- Be hardwired into a building’s power supply or powered by a non-removable minimum 10-year lifespan battery
The QLD Fire and Emergency Services Act says that from 1st January 2022 all rental properties in QLD must have smoke alarms which;
- Are less than 10 years old
- Be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the building so that all activate together
- Operate when function tested
Additionally, these requirements will become mandatory for ALL dwellings in Queensland by 1st January 2027.
If you would like to read the QLD legislation in full, direct links are provided below.