--- title: "Evacuation Diagram Requirements in Queensland" description: "State-specific guide to evacuation diagram requirements in Queensland, Australia. Covers Queensland Fire Department (QFD) requirements, the 300 m2 display threshold, Brisbane and Gold Coast specifics, and cyclone considerations." canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-queensland source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-queensland --- # Evacuation Diagram Requirements in Queensland > State-specific guide to evacuation diagram requirements in Queensland, Australia. Covers Queensland Fire Department (QFD) requirements, the 300 m2 display threshold, Brisbane and Gold Coast specifics, and cyclone considerations. _EvacPath Team · 2026-04-04 · 3 min read_ Queensland's fire safety compliance framework is administered by the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) and local councils under the Fire Services Act 1990 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008. If you last dealt with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES), that agency was replaced by QFD on 1 July 2024, and the Act was renamed from the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 at the same time. Queensland has unique considerations including cyclone-prone regions, high tourist populations, and a large stock of older timber buildings in regional areas. This guide covers Queensland-specific evacuation diagram requirements. Accommodation buildings carry the most explicit obligations of any building type here, and our [hotel and accommodation evacuation diagram guide](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-hotels-accommodation-australia) covers where diagrams go in hotels, motels and serviced apartments. ## Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 Under the Fire Services Act 1990 and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, building occupiers must: - Prepare and maintain a fire and evacuation plan. The duty sits on the occupier of any building other than a single dwelling house, with no size threshold (Fire Services Act 1990, section 146O) - Include an evacuation diagram in that written plan, whatever the floor area (Building Fire Safety Regulation, section 21(2)(c)) - Display evacuation diagrams along the evacuation routes once the building's total floor area is 300 m2 or more (section 30) - Conduct evacuation practice drills at least once every 12 months - Appoint fire safety advisors for buildings over a certain size or risk level - Ensure compliance with the building's fire safety management plan ## The 300 m2 threshold for small sites The display duty has a floor-area threshold that matters if you run a small site. Under section 30(4) of the regulation, the obligation to display diagrams on the walls only applies once the building's total floor area reaches 300 m2. Below that, Queensland law does not force you to hang diagrams, but your written fire and evacuation plan must still include an evacuation diagram (section 21(2)(c)), so a compliant diagram is required at any size. Most small operators display it anyway: a diagram in a drawer helps nobody mid-evacuation. One more point worth knowing: the regulation itself never mentions AS 3745. What a Queensland diagram must show is set out in section 18, and the display rules are in section 30. AS 3745 is the national standard EvacPath draws to, and it covers everything section 18 asks for, which is why diagrams drawn to AS 3745 are the accepted way to comply. ## QFD Inspections Queensland Fire Department officers can: - Inspect any building for fire safety compliance - Issue Fire Safety Advisements (recommendations for improvement) - Issue Building Fire Safety Infringement Notices (fines) - Require building owners to install or update evacuation diagrams within a specified timeframe - Refer persistent non-compliance to the local council or courts ## Brisbane and South East Queensland The SEQ corridor (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast) has a rapidly growing building stock with specific considerations: - High-rise apartments on the Gold Coast need in-unit diagrams, especially those used for short-term holiday letting - Brisbane's Fortitude Valley and South Bank entertainment precincts have high concentrations of licensed venues needing compliant diagrams - Shopping centres in suburban growth corridors may be subject to QFD audit programs - Mixed-use buildings (retail below, residential above) are increasingly common and need coordinated evacuation planning - Flood-prone areas along the Brisbane River need evacuation plans that consider both fire and flood scenarios ## Cyclone and Severe Weather Considerations North Queensland and coastal areas face cyclone risks that affect evacuation planning: - Emergency plans must address cyclone shelter-in-place procedures (the opposite of fire evacuation) - Some buildings serve as designated cyclone shelters and need diagrams showing both evacuation routes and shelter areas - Post-cyclone damage may block normal exit routes, making alternative routes on diagrams critical - Tourist accommodation in Cairns, Townsville, and the Whitsundays must inform guests about both fire evacuation and cyclone procedures - Storm surge zones in coastal areas may affect assembly area locations ## Regional Queensland Regional and rural Queensland has its own challenges: - Many older buildings are timber-framed Queenslander style with high fire risk - Mining towns and resource sector facilities have strict workplace fire safety requirements - Agricultural buildings (packing sheds, processing facilities) may store chemicals or fuel - Remote locations may have long emergency response times, making self-evacuation critical - Indigenous community buildings and facilities have the same requirements as urban buildings ## Get Queensland-Compliant Evacuation Diagrams EvacPath creates [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia)-compliant evacuation diagrams for buildings across Queensland, from Brisbane CBD offices to Gold Coast resorts and regional commercial properties. We understand QFD requirements and deliver diagrams that pass inspection. Print-ready PDFs delivered in 3 to 5 business days. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. [Get your instant price](https://evacpath.com/order), with no site visit and no payment until you approve the first draft. ## Other Australian state guides Evacuation diagram requirements vary by state. AS 3745 provides the technical baseline nationally; each state and territory layers its own fire safety regulations on top. For state-specific guides, see: - [New South Wales (NSW) evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-nsw) - [Victoria evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-victoria) - [Western Australia evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-western-australia) - [South Australia evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-south-australia) - [Australian Capital Territory evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-act) - [Northern Territory evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-northern-territory) - [Tasmania evacuation diagram requirements](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-tasmania)