Occupants Responsible for Common Property Fire Safety Notices

Unless I cannot read plain English, unit occupants (including tenants) are personally responsible for common property fire exit notices and face an $11,000 fine if they are missing, under Section 183 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000. Quote:

183 Fire safety notices

(1) If:

(a) a building’s fire exit includes any fire-isolated stairway, passageway or ramp, and

(b) a notice in the form at the end of this clause is not at all times displayed in a conspicuous position adjacent to a doorway providing access to, but not within, that stairway, passageway or ramp, the occupier of the part of the premises adjacent to the stairway, passageway or ramp is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty: 100 penalty units.

(One penalty unit is $110)

NOTE that it refers to the “occupier”, not to the building owner or manager.

I have raised the matter with the office of Anthony Roberts in relation to the current review of Strata legislation.