Are Bioethanol Fireplaces Legal in Tasmania

Short answer: Yes. A bioethanol fireplace sold in Tasmania follows the same national law as every other state: the Consumer Goods (Decorative Alcohol Fuelled Devices) Safety Standard 2017 (F2017L00909). Tasmania has the strongest local material of the three states. The state's own consumer regulator names "fireplace" as a device type in its own guidance; the fire service names liquid fuel as banned on a Total Fire Ban day, in plain language, not by inference.

The national standard itself, including certification and strata approval, is covered in Are Bioethanol Fireplaces Legal in Australia. This article covers what Tasmania adds on top. Every unit in My Acre's EcoSmart Fire range is certified against that national standard as a baseline.

Tasmania's own guidance on ethanol burners

Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS), part of the Tasmanian Department of Justice, publishes a page titled Decorative alcohol fuelled burners (ethanol burners). It is the strongest state-level source found across WA, Tasmania and the NT. CBOS names three device types: table-top units, freestanding units, and "fixed devices, often referred to as 'fireplaces' (require installation in a fixed position, and are usually wall-mounted or recessed)."

CBOS confirms the same national standard, effective 15 July 2017, applies here through that national rule, not a separate state law. Naming "fireplace" as its own category is a useful local anchor.

What happens on a Total Fire Ban day

Tasmania gives the clearest answer of the three states here. The Tasmania Fire Service's Total Fire Ban page bans all outdoor fires except electric or gas stoves and barbecues, which must be cleared of flammable material for at least one metre. Everything else stops, a gas fire table included. Barbecues, portable stoves and pizza ovens that burn wood, charcoal, heat beads "or other solid or liquid fuel" are named as banned. Every fire permit is suspended for the day too.

Parks Tasmania backs this up, naming the exact fuel a bioethanol fireplace burns. Its guide to campfires and fire bans states that "liquid fuel stoves, like those using methylated spirits or shellite are not allowed" during a Total Fire Ban. WA and the NT need an inferential leap from a barbecue rule to reach this conclusion. Tasmania does not. TFS's own wording already covers other liquid fuel outdoor devices; a flueless bioethanol fireplace burns exactly that fuel.

Ring Hayden on 1300 515 620 for a straight answer on your model before planning an evening around a forecast Total Fire Ban.

Installing a fixed fireplace: what the council asks for

A portable or table-top unit needs no council notification. A permanent, wall-mounted or recessed installation sits closer to "heating appliance" territory under the Building Act 2016 (Tas). Most Tasmanian councils require notification before a wood, oil or solid-fuel heating appliance is installed or replaced. Launceston City Council's process is typical: Forms 53 and 54 cover the notification, then the compliance certificate.

That pathway reads as though written for flued or oil heaters, not a flueless ethanol unit, though no exclusion was found either way. Confirm with your council before a fixed install.

Strata and rental: no material difference from the national position

Body corporates under the Strata Titles Act 1998 (Tas) set their own by-laws, with a default model in Schedule 1 where a scheme has none. Nothing singles out fire features, so check your scheme's by-laws before installing on a balcony or shared courtyard.

Renting works the same way. CBOS's own guidance on alterations and fixtures is direct: a tenant must not add a fixture without the owner's written permission. A freestanding unit needs no consent; a fixed, wall-mounted fireplace does.

The honest verdict for Tasmania

Tasmania has no bioethanol-specific statute either, but it carries the best paper trail of the three states. CBOS names "fireplace" as a device type in its own guidance. TFS names liquid fuel as banned on a Total Fire Ban day, without needing an inference from a barbecue rule. That is a stronger local answer than WA or the NT offer, even though the underlying law is identical everywhere.

Every EcoSmart fire pit and fire table through My Acre ships with free delivery and our price-beat promise. Hayden checks in within the week of delivery, warranty handled by us if it's ever needed. Browse the EcoSmart Fire range, certified against the ACCC mandate as standard, or get a quote and Hayden will check your council and body corporate requirements before you commit.

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• Shop EcoSmart Fire

Hayden Pearson

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About the author:
“I have a real passion for helping transform outdoor spaces so people can relax, connect and entertain with confidence and pride. With My Acre, I love guiding homeowners to create beautiful and functional outdoor living areas."