{"id":"automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024","name":"Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Regulations 2024","slug":"automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":235247,"registerId":"sa-automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-06","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Regulations 2024","content":"South Australia\nAutomated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Regulations 2024\nunder the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022\n\nContents\n1\tShort title\n2\tCommencement\n3\tInterpretation\n4\tDefinition of public building or facility\n5\tRelevant authority for prescribed vehicle\n6\tRelevant facility—prescribed distance\n7\tCalculating floor area\n8\tPrescribed sporting facility\n9\tApplication of Act—hospital or other medical facility\n10\tMaximum number of Automated External Defibrillators required to be installed\n11\tDefinition of relevant designated building or facility or prescribed building\n12\tExemptions—vehicles\n13\tPlacement and accessibility of Automated External Defibrillators\n14\tInstallation of Automated External Defibrillators\nLegislative history\n\n1—Short title\nThese regulations may be cited as the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Regulations 2024.\n2—Commencement\nThese regulations come into operation on the day on which section 3 of the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 comes into operation.\n3—Interpretation\nIn these regulations—\nAct means the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022;\npublicly accessible floor area has the same meaning as in section 7 of the Act.\n4—Definition of public building or facility\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of paragraph (e) of the definition of public building or facility in section 3(1) of the Act, a place of worship is prescribed.\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of paragraph (g) of the definition of public building or facility in section 3(1) of the Act, a carpark (whether indoor or outdoor) is excluded from the ambit of that definition.\n\t(3)\tIn this regulation—\nplace of worship means a building or facility the primary purpose of which is to be a place for an organised group of people to gather to worship or undertake other religious activities.\n5—Relevant authority for prescribed vehicle\nFor the purposes of the definition of relevant authority for a prescribed vehicle in section 3(1) of the Act, the following entities are prescribed:\n\t(a)\tin the case of a train or tram—the owner of the train or tram (as the case may be);\n\t(b)\tin the case of a public bus—the registered owner of the bus.\n6—Relevant facility—prescribed distance\nFor the purposes of paragraph (a) of the definition of relevant facility in section 3(1) of the Act, the prescribed distance is 100 m.\n7—Calculating floor area\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 3(4)(a) of the Act, the method for calculating the floor area of a building or facility is—\n\t(a)\tfor the purposes of determining whether a building or facility is a relevant building or relevant facility, or the floor area of a building referred to in section 5(a) of the Act after the completion of the construction or major works—calculating the sum of each relevant area of the building or facility; or\n\t(b)\tfor the purposes of determining the publicly accessible floor area of a building or facility for the purposes of section 7 of the Act—calculating the sum of each relevant area of the building or facility that constitutes publicly accessible floor area.\n\t(2)\tIn this regulation—\nrelevant area means—\n\t(a)\tin the case of a building (whether a relevant building or otherwise)—\n\t(i)\tinternal floor space within the exterior walls of the building, including rooms, stairs, toilets, lifts, lift shafts and columns; and\n\t(ii)\tany external balcony or rooftop terrace; or\n\t(b)\tsubject to paragraph (c), in the case of a facility (whether a relevant facility or otherwise)—the relevant area of any buildings of the facility as determined in accordance with paragraph (a), but does not include an outdoor swimming pool or other external areas of a building, or between buildings, of the facility (including gardens, pathways and driveways); or\n\t(c)\tin the case of a facility (whether a relevant facility or otherwise) that is a single enclosed (whether fully or partially) structure—any area within the perimeter of the facility.\n8—Prescribed sporting facility\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 4(b) of the Act, a building or facility the primary purpose of which is to be a place where a sport is played, or an activity for health or wellbeing purposes that involves physical exertion takes place, is a prescribed sporting facility.\n\t(2)\tA prescribed sporting facility does not include a building or facility (or a building that is part of a facility) referred to in section 4(c) to (k) (inclusive) of the Act.\n9—Application of Act—hospital or other medical facility\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 6A(1)(a) of the Act, the following requirements are prescribed in relation to a hospital or other medical facility:\n\t(a)\ta medical practitioner, a registered nurse or a paramedic is on site at the hospital or facility at all times during the opening hours of the hospital or facility;\n\t(b)\ta defibrillator is available at the hospital or facility for use by staff of the hospital or facility.\n\t(2)\tA facility that provides residential care within the meaning of the Aged Care Act 1997 of the Commonwealth will be taken not to be a medical facility for the purposes of section 6A(1)(a) of the Act.\n\t(3)\tIn this regulation—\ndefibrillator means a medical apparatus which uses an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm and includes an Automated External Defibrillator.\n10—Maximum number of Automated External Defibrillators required to be installed\nFor the purposes of section 7(1)(c) of the Act, the maximum number of Automated External Defibrillators required to be installed is—\n\t(a)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 12 000 m² but less than 37 000 m²—10; or\n\t(b)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 37 000 m² but less than 50 000 m²—12; or\n\t(c)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 50 000 m² but less than 77 000 m²—15; or\n\t(d)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 77 000 m² but less than 100 000 m²—18; or\n\t(e)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 100 000 m² but less than 115 000 m²—20; or\n\t(f)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 115 000 m² but less than 130 000 m²—25; or\n\t(g)\tin the case of a building or facility with a publicly accessible floor area of or exceeding 130 000 m²—30.\n11—Definition of relevant designated building or facility or prescribed building\nFor the purposes of the definition of relevant designated building or facility or prescribed building in section 7(3) of the Act, a school is excluded from the ambit of that definition.\n12—Exemptions—vehicles\nIn accordance with section 17(2)(a) of the Act, the following classes of vehicles are exempt from the application of the Act:\n\t(a)\taircraft used for the purposes of firefighting;\n\t(b)\ttrains that carry freight but no passengers.\n13—Placement and accessibility of Automated External Defibrillators\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 17(2)(ab) of the Act, and subject to subregulation (3), the following requirements are prescribed in relation to an Automated External Defibrillator installed in accordance with the Act:\n\t(a)\tin the case of an Automated External Defibrillator installed in a building or facility—the Automated External Defibrillator must be accessible to the public;\n\t(b)\tin any case—the Automated External Defibrillator must not be installed in a cabinet, container or other structure in a manner that prevents immediate access to the Automated External Defibrillator in an emergency (such as a cabinet, container or other structure that requires a key or access code to be opened).\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of subregulation (1)(a), an Automated External Defibrillator will be taken to be accessible to the public if a member of the public may request access to it.\n\t(3)\tThe requirement in subregulation (1)(a) does not apply to an Automated External Defibrillator installed in a facility that provides residential care within the meaning of the Aged Care Act 1997 of the Commonwealth.\n14—Installation of Automated External Defibrillators\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 17(2)(ac) of the Act, the following constitutes installation of an Automated External Defibrillator for the purposes of the Act:\n\t(a)\tin the case of an Automated External Defibrillator in a building or facility—placement of the Automated External Defibrillator in the building or facility (whether behind a reception desk or otherwise) provided that it remains in the same location at all times, other than when it is in use;\n\t(b)\tin the case of an Automated External Defibrillator in a vehicle—placement of the Automated External Defibrillator in the vehicle.\n\t(2)\tNothing in subregulation (1)(a) prevents the owner of a building or facility from moving an Automated External Defibrillator to an alternative permanent location if the owner considers that it is necessary or appropriate to do so.\n\t(3)\tFor the purposes of subregulation (1)(a), an Automated External Defibrillator will be taken to be in use if it is being used to treat a cardiac arrest or if it is being transported for that purpose or because it is suspected that it may need to be used for that purpose.\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nPrincipal regulations\nYear\nNo\nReference\nCommencement\n2024\n127\nGazette 12.12.2024 p4669 \n1.1.2025: r 2\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"These Regulations both narrow and expand the Act’s practical reach by prescribing specific inclusions, exclusions and thresholds. They expand capture by explicitly prescribing 'place of worship' as a public building (reg 4(1)) and by setting a 100 m prescribed distance for relevant facilities (reg 6). They narrow or exempt scope by excluding carparks from the public building definition (reg 4(2)), excluding schools from the ‘relevant designated’ category (reg 11), exempting certain vehicles (reg 12), and treating residential aged‑care as not a medical facility for some requirements (reg 9(2)). They also add operational detail (floor‑area calculation, AED placement and maximum numbers) that concretely alters compliance obligations (regs 7, 10, 13, 14)."},"complexity_factors":["Tiered maximum-AED schedule with multiple area bands and exact caps (reg 10) increases numerical compliance complexity.","Detailed method for calculating publicly accessible and total floor area, including internal spaces, balconies, single enclosed structures and exclusions for external areas (reg 7).","Multiple definitional adjustments that change which sites are captured: place of worship included; carparks excluded; schools excluded from ‘relevant designated’ (regs 4, 11).","Specific exemptions and prescribed vehicle authorities — owner vs registered owner distinctions, and exempt vehicle classes (regs 5, 12).","Operational rules on placement, public accessibility and what counts as ‘installation’ with an aged‑care exception (regs 13, 14, 9(3)).","Cross-references throughout to the Act require joint interpretation of the Act and these Regulations (see regs 3, 4, 7, 13, 14).","Ambiguities that may affect enforcement and behaviour: e.g. ‘accessible to the public’ is defined as ‘a member of the public may request access’ (reg 13(2)), and allowance for AEDs behind reception desks (reg 14(1)(a)).","Compliance burden concentrated on owners/operators (who pay and decide installation locations) but with exceptions for medical staffing and equipment at hospitals (reg 9(1)).","Commencement tied to the Act’s s3 timing, so implementation depends on the Act’s commencement (reg 2)."],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set detailed rules for where, how many and how Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) must be provided in South Australian public buildings, facilities and certain vehicles. They prescribe measurement rules for floor area, maximum AED counts by size, placement and accessibility requirements, and specific inclusions and exclusions. The rules affect building and vehicle owners, hospitals and aged‑care operators by creating compliance duties and practical installation standards."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be determined — the full text of the legislation was not accessible. No comparison between original intent and final form is possible from the content provided."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was available for analysis — only a website error page was provided","Complexity cannot be meaningfully assessed without the actual content of the regulations","Score of 1 reflects the absence of analyzable material, not an assessment of the law itself"],"plain_english_summary":"This South Australian 2024 regulation concerns public access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), likely setting requirements around their placement, upkeep, and availability in public locations. It primarily affects businesses, schools, venue and property managers, and the general public by shaping where AEDs must be provided and how they are maintained for emergency use."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain tightly scoped to operationalising the parent Act's framework for AED installation requirements. They do not expand beyond the original legislative intent of mandating public access defibrillators in specified buildings and vehicles."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-references to parent Act (Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022) requiring simultaneous reading","Nested conditional logic in Regulation 7 with three-tiered definition of 'relevant area' covering buildings vs facilities vs enclosed structures","Seven-tiered sliding scale for maximum AED numbers based on floor area brackets (Regulation 10)","Multiple exemption categories with different conditions: hospitals (Reg 9), vehicles (Reg 12), residential aged care (Reg 9(2), 13(3))","Defined terms scattered across regulations rather than concentrated in single interpretation section (e.g., 'place of worship' in Reg 4, 'relevant area' in Reg 7, 'defibrillator' in Reg 9)","Dual calculation methods for floor area depending on purpose (Regulation 7(1)(a) vs (b))","Incorporation by reference to Commonwealth Aged Care Act 1997"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations fill in the practical details for South Australia's law requiring Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) — the portable devices that can restart someone's heart during cardiac arrest — to be installed in public places and certain vehicles.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Owners and operators** of large public buildings and facilities (shopping centres, sporting venues, places of worship, etc.) who must install AEDs based on floor area\n- **Public transport operators** — specifically train, tram and bus owners who must carry AEDs on prescribed vehicles\n- **Hospitals and medical facilities** — though they get exemptions if they have medical staff and equipment on site\n- **Schools** — explicitly excluded from certain requirements\n- **Aged care facilities** — treated differently from medical facilities for some rules\n\n**Key practical rules:**\n\n- **How many AEDs?** Depends on building size — from 10 devices (for 12,000–37,000 m²) up to 30 devices (for anything over 130,000 m²)\n- **Where must they go?** Must be publicly accessible and cannot be locked away — no keys or access codes allowed\n- **Special cases:**\n  - Places of worship count as public buildings\n  - Carparks are explicitly excluded\n  - Firefighting aircraft and freight-only trains are exempt\n  - The \"relevant facility\" catchment area is set at 100 metres\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nCardiac arrest kills thousands of Australians annually. For every minute without defibrillation, survival chances drop 10%. These regulations make the difference between \"there should be an AED somewhere\" and \"here's exactly how many, where they go, and how people can actually reach them in an emergency.\""},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024","history":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024/history","analysis":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/automated-external-defibrillators-public-access-regulations-2024/documents"}}