New QLD smoke alarm legislation

New legislation was passed yesterday 31/8.

"The legislation specifies that every Queensland residence will need to be fitted with photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms in all bedrooms, as well as hallways of residences."

These can either be hardwired, or units fitted "with a 10-year lithium battery that have the capability to achieve interconnectedness wirelessly between alarms."

"All houses being built or significantly renovated will need to comply with the smoke alarm legislation upon completion after January 1, 2017. All houses leased or sold will need to meet compliance after five years and all owner-occupied private dwellings will need to comply with the legislation within 10 years.

Any smoke alarm being replaced after January 1, 2017 must be a photoelectric alarm."

Some links:
Qld gov media release
ABC article

 

Thank you for the info. Greatly appreciated.

 

Wonder what is everyone's thought on this?
PMs: Have you informed all your clients?
Investors: Have you started saving and put aside a budget?
Tradies: Extra income?

 

Investor - my thoughts are that this is the result of some serious lobbying by the smoke alarm servicing companies. They've created a nice little industry for themselves and now they can justify a further price hike.

There is a decent deployment period,

“There is an option to install photoelectric alarms with a 10-year lithium battery that have the capability to achieve interconnectedness wirelessly between alarms. This option may be more suitable for Queenslanders living in remote areas where attendance of an electrician could be difficult.”

All houses being built or significantly renovated will need to comply with the smoke alarm legislation upon completion after January 1, 2017. All houses leased or sold will need to meet compliance after five years and all owner-occupied private dwellings will need to comply with the legislation within 10 years.

Any smoke alarm being replaced after January 1, 2017 must be a photoelectric alarm."

So I suspect agents etc will take a few weeks to let the dust settle and figure out what all the options are and deployment strategy.

 

I received this last week.

QLD Legislation Update

Will you be rushing out to spend $229 per bedroom plus the main living area, for every property you own? The ad left out the bit about current rentals having five years to comply.

 

mmm interesting. I had 2 new photoelectric smoke alarms put in earlier this year but being off the shelf, they aren't 'interconnected'. Thanks @Angel for the link - appears that the alarms need to be able to talk to each other so when 1 alarm goes off, they all go off? Will be interested if this type of alarm is able to be purchased off the shelf or a special order.

My PM put me on the smoke alarm service (unbeknownst to me ), I'm hoping that my approval will be sought before putting me on the higher level smoke alarm service.

 

I'll maybe pop into Masters on Saturday to see what they have on their shelves. Once the legislation comes in, I would expect there to be the items available at Bunnings and Masters. Otherwise my local member for Parliament will be getting a blast about legislation that is not able to be complied with. If the whole thing is designed that only certain companies can provide it at monopoly prices, then I'm sure the media will want to know about it.

 

I must read this up quickly. First I thought it wont affect us until 5-10 years' time. But it seems any sale would be affected.. Brrrrr!

 

I believe you have until 1 Jan 2022.

From QFES:

When is this happening?
There is a 10-year phased roll-out of interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in Queensland that will happen over three specific periods starting from 1 January 2017. This means interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms are required for compliance:

• From 1 January 2017: in all new dwellings and substantially renovated dwellings (this applies to building applications submitted from 1 January 2017).
  
• From 1 January 2022: in all domestic dwellings leased and sold.
  
• From 1 January 2027: in all other domestic dwellings.

​

 

Wrong. Google "Slacks Creek fire coronial findings".

This legislation is in response to the tragic Slacks Creek fire where 11 people died. Recommendations were included in the report from the Coronial inquest into the fire.
Marg

 

We have weak, pathetic leaders. Everything is a knee jerk reaction.

11 people in one house, likely no working smoke alarms, so they legislate that hundreds of thousands are treated as juveniles, and if logic played any part, you would conclude that legislation was already ignored by somebody, it seems.

So more of the usual, punish the majority due to a minority or a tragedy.

How long before they decide a fire system connected to 24 hr monitoring and the brigade should be in homes ?

 

next year I imagine..

**** that, I don't even want that in my own residence, yet within 10 years I will be forced to? There is a heck of a lot of risky activities I indulge in, but being killed in a fire is unlikely go be one of them!

 

That's right, you do...

Dwellings being leased classified 1A (houses & townhouses) & 2 (units) only require smokealarm to be upgraded from 1st January 2022 or when the dwelling is sold or undergo substantial renovations.

Some investors are wanting to absorb the cost now in today's dollars.

In some instances RCD / safety switch might also need an upgrade to take in the additional power required.

Your PM should be able to source bulk discounts from electricians for the this work. Another reason to potentially consider sooner rather than later.

 

Yeah, I can see walking into some places in the future with so much stuff on the ceiling it will be distracting...

AC outlets
Skylights
Fans
Lights
Smoke Alarms

Nah, not likely, anyone trying that on is just trying to generate work, they are not the type of thing to draw current.

 

Just priced some complying Australian Standard lithium wireless interconnect units from Schnap Electric.......cheapest is $115 ea....ranging to more than $175 ea.....

Hard wired interconnect is about $50 ea - but needs wiring run between units.

Lots of work for Qld sparkies...!

 

I sincerely doubt that!

e.g. a popular 240v with 9v battery backup interconnected alarm is the Quell Q1300. ( $45.90 @ Bunnings)

The maximum current draw for one of these is 80 milli Amps. A typical house would have 4 of these bringing your current draw to 320 milli Amps. This is a draw of 77 watts, so somewhat less than the old 100watt incandescent light bulbs people have or had in their houses.

The individual circuits of most houses have a permitted a max draw of 2,400 watts. (240VAC@10A)

Dependent on which line you're detectors are attached to, its really not going to make much difference at all.

If you've made the jump to an all LED or CFL lit house you will have a 1000watts+ of spare capacity in that circuit alone so you could easily attach there with little to no impact.

 

I have absolutely no doubt its due to those fires, thanks to them we already have to get smoke alarms tested & i'm not surprised there are now going to be even more requirements. Its created a whole new industry.

 

Queensland homes will be required to be fitted with photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms in all bedrooms, as well as hallways as part of legislation passed in parliament this week. All houses being built or significantly renovated will need to comply with the smoke alarm legislation upon completion after January 1, 2017.

All houses leased or sold will need to meet compliance after five years and all owner-occupied private dwellings will need to comply with the legislation within 10 years. Any smoke alarm being replaced after January 1, 2017 must be a photoelectric alarm