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Defibrillators in public places
In South Australia it is now the law: from 1 January 2026, the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 requires certain public buildings, facilities and vehicles to have at least one AED installed and registered. In Victoria and Queensland, the ambulance services keep registers that AED owners can join, and the Queensland Ambulance Service sets out where an AED and its sign should be mounted.
General information, not medical or legal advice. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000). For South Australia’s rules, read SA Health’s page on AED requirements.
South Australian law
South Australia’s public access law
SA Health’s page opens with the change: “Automated External Defibrillator (AED) laws have changed in South Australia.” It lists what the owner of a public building or facility may now be legally required to do, including:
“If you own a public building or facility, you may now be legally required to:
SA Health, AED requirements for public buildings and facilities (a selection from the list)
- …
- have clear signage displayed for the AED
- maintain the AED regularly
- ensure the AED is publicly accessible (where applicable).”
Which buildings
Under the Act, a building counts as relevant once its floor area reaches 600m². If the public can get into any part of a relevant building or facility, it counts as public under the Act, and at least one AED is required.
A building or facility may need more than one AED if it is on land used for commercial purposes and its publicly accessible floor area is over 1,200m². Where both apply, the owner must assess their requirements under section 10 of the Regulations.
The Act does not apply to hospitals or other medical facilities; carparks, indoor and outdoor; correctional facilities; licensed children’s residential facilities, or those established or licensed under the Family and Community Services Act 1972; and, in its words, “buildings or facilities where no areas are accessible to the public (excluding a designated building or facility)”.
Approval, registration and signs
- An AED installed to meet the Act must carry Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval.
- It goes on the South Australian AED Register no later than two weeks after it is installed, and the register updated within two weeks if its location or accessibility times change.
- It must have adequate signage showing that an AED is nearby, which SA Health says includes a sign near the AED and a sign outside the building or facility, near its entrance.
- It must be registered, clearly signed and regularly maintained as the manufacturer instructs.
The register is what makes the law useful in an emergency. When someone calls Triple Zero (000) in a cardiac emergency, SA Health says, the call-taker uses it to tell them where their nearest AED is.
SafeWork SA says the law is administered by SA Health, and that questions about AED requirements, including how many a workplace needs, should go to SA Health.
Registers
Registering an AED in Victoria and Queensland
VIC
Ambulance Victoria
Ambulance Victoria keeps an AED registry, with locations provided by AED owners, and asks owners to “Register your AED to help connect AEDs with people who need them.”
WorkSafe Victoria’s compliance code says registering an AED with Ambulance Victoria links AEDs in the community with people who urgently need them.
QLD
Queensland Ambulance Service
The Queensland Ambulance Service invites owners to register their AED with it. If it is registered, the service says it can tell someone who has called Triple Zero (000) about a suspected cardiac arrest where the AED is at the business or property, so they can use it before paramedics arrive.
The alert has a limit: it applies only when the person is at that business or property, and is not raised for calls from nearby ones.
Placement
Where an AED should hang
The Queensland Ambulance Service says AEDs belong where people can easily see them and quickly reach them, and names as good locations building entrances, lobbies, near reception or security desks, near lifts, and main walkways or other busy areas.
In a large building, it says, someone anywhere in the building should be able to collect an AED within three minutes, which may mean installing more than one, on different floors or in busy or important areas. The AED should suit the environment it is installed in, and where vandalism or theft is a concern, the service suggests a monitored spot, such as near a reception or security desk, or under CCTV.
The service recommends installing AEDs about 1.2 to 1.5 metres above the floor, so they are easy to reach. For an AED kept in a vehicle, it says not to use a locked cabinet or container that needs a key or code. For signs, it suggests clear ones showing where the AED is, placed about 2 to 2.4 metres above the ground for best visibility.
It also recommends that signs carry a message to call Triple Zero (000) if someone thinks a person is having a cardiac arrest.
Victoria’s compliance code says much the same for workplaces: AEDs should be installed in well-known, visible and accessible locations, should not be locked, and should be clearly signed.
Workplaces
When a workplace should think about an AED
Victoria’s compliance code asks employers to weigh up whether having an AED at the workplace is reasonably practicable.
Tasmania’s adopted code says to consider providing one if workers are at risk of electrocution, if an ambulance would be slow to reach the workplace, or where many members of the public are present. SafeWork SA gives the same three situations for South Australian workplaces.
Once an AED is on the wall, keeping it ready is on the sheet for keeping a kit in order, and what it does is on defibrillators explained.