Building owners are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their building, particularly its safety features or essential safety measures (ESMs) This ensures that important safety systems within the building remain at the required operational level throughout the life of the building.
Compliance with all applicable legislation is a condition of every lease at Mount Hotham. Providing your ESMs to us demonstrates compliance and ensures that a record is kept of that compliance in the event that your records are destroyed or lost.
In addition, ESMs keep residents safe in the event of an emergency. They also ensure that the appropriate tools are in place to deal with small fires within your premises, which may prevent a minor emergency developing in to a serious one.
Building owners must ensure that each ESM is maintained so that it operates satisfactorily. Your building's ESM reporting requirements are recorded in the appendix to your premises' Building Standards Report.
If you do not have this on hand, we can provide you with an electronic copy on request for no charge. The items that require testing and how often they require testing will depend on the class of your building. You must meet the frequency requirements to be compliant with the legislation. [is this information also in the building's Building Standards Report?]
See "Essential Safety Measures - detail" for a full list of essential safety measures and links to information about installation standards / levels of performance.
Annual reporting on essential safety measures
Building owners must prepare an annual essential safety measures report. They may authorise an agent, such as a specialist maintenance contractor, to complete the report. The annual essential safety measures report is to be in accordance with the approved form.
The owner must also keep records of maintenance checks, safety measures and repair work so a municipal building surveyor or chief officer of the fire brigade can inspect them. These documents, as well as the annual essential safety measures reports, must be made available to the municipal building surveyor or the chief officer on request after 24 hours' notice has been given.
A template for the preparation of the annual essential safety measures report is available here. A sample report to help you complete your report can be found here. Also available is a template prepared by the Country Fire Authority for the Fire Orders (landscape or portrait orientation) and evacuation plans required in alpine buildings.
Bushfire Vegetation Removal
Amendment VC83 introduced clause 52.48 into the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes on 18 November, 2011. Clause 52.48 allows the removal, destruction or lopping of vegetation to reduce the fuel load around existing buildings used for accommodation without requiring a planning permit. These permit exemptions only apply to buildings existing or approved before 10 September 2009.
All applications for vegetation removal need to be submitted to the Resort Management using this form.
The information provided in this form will be used by the Resort Management to assist in the assessment of your application. To assist us in understanding your application all information indicated should be provided as far as is practical.