The Annual Condition Report (ACR) is one of the most important fire safety documents for a Queensland building. Unfortunately, it is often misunderstood and treated as just another maintenance report. It is much more than that.

The Annual Condition Report is a prescribed certification document that confirms a prescribed fire safety installation has undergone its required annual survey and continues to satisfy its original design and performance requirements.

Unlike routine maintenance records, which simply record that inspections and testing have been completed, the Annual Condition Report provides professional certification that the fire protection system remains suitable to protect the building in accordance with its approved design.

Why is it a prescribed document?

Queensland’s QBCC Fire Protection Licensing Framework recognises the Annual Condition Report as a certification document rather than a maintenance record.

For this reason, the report must be signed by a person holding the appropriate QBCC “Certify” licence class for that type of fire protection system.

A technician holding only an Inspect and Test licence may carry out routine maintenance and complete maintenance records, but cannot sign the Annual Condition Report or any other certification document.

This distinction ensures that certification is undertaken by a person with the qualifications, experience and licensing necessary to determine whether the system continues to meet its approved design intent.

Why is the Annual Condition Report important?

Building owners and occupiers rely on the Annual Condition Report to demonstrate that their fire protection systems continue to operate as intended.

A properly completed report provides confidence that:

• the required annual survey has been completed;
• the fire protection system continues to satisfy its original design requirements;
• no alterations or changes have adversely affected system performance;
• defects have been identified and appropriately reported;
• the system remains suitable for the current building use.

The report also provides an important level of assurance to:

• building owners;
• body corporate committees;
• occupiers;
• insurers;
• certifiers; and
• the Queensland Fire Department.

Without a complete and accurate Annual Condition Report, it becomes difficult for an occupier to demonstrate that the prescribed fire safety installations have been maintained in accordance with legislative requirements.

What should an Annual Condition Report include?

A complete Annual Condition Report should not simply state that the system is “serviceable”. It should contain sufficient information to demonstrate that the required annual survey has been undertaken and that the system continues to comply with its approved design.

Drawing on the requirements of AS 1851 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, the report should include, as applicable:

Building details

• Building name and address.
• Owner or occupier details.
• Description of the prescribed fire safety installation.
• Date of inspection and annual survey.

Contractor details

• Company name.
• Technician or certifier name.
• QBCC licence number.
• Relevant Certify licence class.
• Signature and date.

System identification

• Description of the fire protection system.
• System location.
• Applicable Australian Standard.
• Building approval or design basis (where applicable).

Annual survey certification

A statement confirming:

• the annual survey has been completed;
• the prescribed fire safety installation continues to satisfy its design intent;
• no changes have been identified that adversely affect its performance; or
• details of any deficiencies identified.

Defects and non-compliances

The report should clearly identify:

• outstanding defects;
• non-compliances affecting performance;
• impairments;
• recommended corrective actions;
• priority of rectification.

Maintenance history

Reference should be made to:

• routine maintenance completed;
• annual testing undertaken;
• any omitted tests;
• outstanding repairs;
• previous defects that remain unresolved.

Supporting documentation

Where applicable, the report should reference:

• maintenance records required under AS 1851;
• defect reports;
• impairment notices;
• commissioning reports;
• variation reports;
• system modifications.

Relationship with the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

The Building Fire Safety Regulation requires the occupier to ensure prescribed fire safety installations are maintained and appropriate records are kept.

The Annual Condition Report is one of the key documents supporting these obligations. It forms part of the evidence relied upon by the occupier when completing the annual Occupier’s Statement, confirming that the prescribed fire safety installations have been maintained in accordance with the Regulation.

A missing, incomplete or incorrectly certified Annual Condition Report may leave the occupier unable to demonstrate compliance with their statutory obligations.

Common problems identified

During independent compliance audits, Fire Matters regularly identifies Annual Condition Reports that:

• have been signed by persons without the appropriate QBCC Certify licence;
• contain no certification statement;
• do not identify outstanding defects;
• fail to reference the required annual survey;
• provide insufficient information to demonstrate continued compliance with the system’s design requirements;
• are treated as a maintenance worksheet rather than a certification document.

These deficiencies can create uncertainty for the building owner and body corporate and may affect the accuracy of the Occupier’s Statement.

Maintenance Record vs Annual Condition Report

The difference can be summarised simply:

Maintenance Record

• Records inspections and testing.
• Identifies defects.
• Documents work completed.
• May be completed by an appropriately licensed Inspect and Test technician.

Annual Condition Report

• Certifies the annual survey has been completed.
• Confirms the system continues to satisfy its design requirements.
• Identifies any conditions affecting compliance.
• Must be signed by a person holding the relevant QBCC Certify licence class.

Conclusion

The Annual Condition Report is far more than an annual service report. It is a critical certification document that underpins Queensland’s fire safety compliance framework. A complete and properly certified Annual Condition Report provides building owners and occupiers with confidence that their prescribed fire safety installations continue to perform as intended and supports their ability to meet the ongoing obligations of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

For this reason, building owners and body corporates should ensure that every Annual Condition Report is complete, accurately documents the annual survey, identifies any outstanding issues, and is signed by a person holding the appropriate QBCC Certify licence for the relevant fire protection system.