South Australia made history by becoming the first Australian state to mandate Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public buildings and facilities. As a South Australian first aid training provider, I couldn't be more proud of this lifesaving legislation. Here's everything you need to know about compliance, requirements, and why this groundbreaking law is set to save countless lives.

What is the AED Legislation?

The Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 requires specific buildings, facilities, and vehicles to install and maintain AEDs. The legislation has been rolled out in two phases:

January 1, 2025: Crown-owned buildings and emergency service vehicles
January 1, 2026: All other eligible buildings, facilities, and public transport

Why this legislation matters

First let’s address a critical question: Why do we need this legislation?

The sobering reality is that each year in Australia, 25,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Only 5-10% of people will survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest
Without defibrillation, the survival rate is just 5%

But here's the real game-changer, for every minute without a defibrillator reduces the chance of survival by 10%. This legislation could literally be the difference between life and death for thousands of South Australians.

The Seattle success story

Let's look at Seattle, where proactive AED placement and community training have led to a remarkable 62% cardiac arrest survival rate. Compare this to Australia's current 7%, and you can see why this legislation matters so much.

Seattle's success didn't happen overnight. It was, in part, as a result of high CPR training rates, legislation requiring high school students to do CPR training and a high concentration of publicly accessible AEDs CPR programs. South Australia is now positioned to achieve similar lifesaving results.

What is an AED?

AEDs stand for Automated External Defibrillators and are portable electronic devices that monitor heart rhytms and deliver assisted defibrillation or electric shocks to counteract sudden cardiac arrest.

Who needs AEDs now in 2025?

Buildings, facilities and emergency service vehicles owned by the Crown must have already complied in 2025. These include:

Crowned-owned buildings and facilities

Public primary and secondary schools and universities
Libraries including the State Library of South Australia
Major venues like Adelaide Entertainment Centre, and Adelaide Convention Centre
State Government buildings
Sports stadiums and recreational facilities such as SA Athletics Stadium, Coopers Stadium, Netball SA Stadium

Emergency service vehicles

All vehicles operated by:

South Australian Country Fire Service
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
South Australian State Emergency Service

Note: The Act does not impose any obligation upon SAAS (South Australian Ambulance Service), as they already carry more advanced defibrillation equipment.

Who must comply in 2026?

Non-Crown owned buildings, facilities, vehicles and prescribed vehicles (trains, trams and public buses) must comply from 1 January 2026. This is when the legislation will impact most SA businesses and property owners.

It includes any building with a floor area of more than 600m² of publicly accessible space land used for commercial purposes. 600m² is the equivalent of 1.37 basketball courts or 2.3 tennis courts.

Designated buildings or facilities

Here are a list of designated buildings or facilities as defined under section 4 of the Act:

Public building or facility

A public building or facility is one that is accessible by the public (access does not have to be paid for). It is considered accessible to the public if the public can freely access any part of the building or facility such as, a foyer, lobby, lift, toilet, coffee area, even if the area is small.

If you’re the owner of a designated building or facility, you must install at least one AED irrespective or the size of the building or facility, even if there is no public access. The following are defined as public buildings or facilities and require at least one AED:

Swimming pool
Library
Local government office
Town hall
Place of worship
Shopping centre

Commercial office buildings with an area accessible to the public
- Commercial buildings with more than 600m² of publicly accessible space
- To work out if your building is considered a relevant building (600m² or more) you must calculate the sum of the entire building (regardless of what area is publicly accessible) including the internal floor space and external balconies or rooftop terraces

A relevant facility
- Two or more relevant buildings which are owned by the same person or entity, and used for related purposes where any part of the building is within 100m of another; or
- An enclosed or partially enclosed structure with floor area of 600m² or more used for sporting or recreational purposes and attended by the public

Carparks (both indoor and outdoor) are excluded.

Temporary structures like the Adelaide Fringe tents are also excluded.

A prescribed sporting facility

The Regulations define a prescribed sporting facility to be a building or facility where the primary purpose is to be a place where a sport is played, or an activity for health or wellbeing purposes that involves physical exertion takes place.

Yoga or pilates studios
Gymnasiums
Local sporting clubs
Ballet studio

Private school, tertiary institution or educational facility that provide skills training

Primary and secondary schools
Childcare
TAFE SA
Vocational and technical colleges

Schools (primary and secondary) aren’t considered being for a commercial purpose so are only required to install one AED in accordance with the Act.

Retirement village

A retirement village where one or more amenities are shared by residents

Shared kitchens and dining areas
Shared toilets
Shared gyms and pools

Aged care facility

A facility which provide residential care:

Aged care homes
Aged care facilities

Caravan or residential park

A caravan park is an area where caravans may be parked and used for holidays or as permanent homes.
A residential park (within the meaning of Residential Parks Act 2017) occupied by 12 or more residents.

Casino or other gambling venue

A casino or other venue where gambling is authorised:

Sports bars (including within a hotel/pub)
Off track betting shop/venue
Gaming room (with electronic gaming machines)

A theatre or other venue for artistic or cultural performance

Cinemas
Live theatre venues

Prescribed vehicles

The Act requires all trains, trams and public buses (able to carry over 14 adults including the driver) in use to install AEDs in each vehicle.

Under the Act, school buses carrying children are not considered a public bus.

How many AEDs do you require?

An important note for business owners is that the responsibility falls on building owners, not tenants. If you lease your premises, your landlord is responsible for AED installation and maintenance.

To work out if you need more than one AED you need to answer the follow questions:

Is your building or facility on land used for commercial purposes?
Is there a floor area of more than 1200m that is publicly accessible?

If you answered yes to both, then you must have one AED for every 1200m² that is publicly accessible. See the table below from the Best Practice Guide, Installation of Automated External Defibrillators from SA Health.

What to do if you need to comply?

If your building falls under this legislation, you must:

Install at least one AEDs in any building with a publicly accessible area over 600m²
- AEDs must be approved for use by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- It is recommended that AEDs meet the Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines and be equipped with two sets of defibrillation pads and a razor
Install one AED per 1200m² of publicly accessible floor space
Display compliant signage
- For AEDs installed inside a building, a sign must be installed near the AED and one outside and near an entrance of the building
- For AEDs installed outside a building, a sign must be installed near the AED
- For AEDs installed in vehicles, a sign must be installed outside the vehicle indicating an AED is in the vehicle
Register AEDs with the South Australian Ambulance Service within 2 weeks of installation
- You must record the location of the AED and the time during which the AED is accessible by the public
AEDs must be maintained in accordance with the AEDs manufacturer instructions

Review the Best Practices Guide for the Installation of AEDs from SA Health for how to know if you need to install an AED under the Act and a breakdown of how many AEDs are required if you are.

Are there any exclusions to the AED Legislation?

The follow buildings or facilities are not required to install an AED in accordance with the Act:

Public and private hospitals
GP clinics
Emergency medical centres
Prison
Children’s residential facility
Warehouse where access is restricted to only employees or contractors
Abbatoir

Why South Australia's legislation is groundbreaking

This isn't just another regulation. It's a major shift in public health. South Australia is leading the nation with this comprehensive approach to public access defibrillation.

Why training matters

While the legislation states that "AEDs require no training and can be used by anyone who recognises the signs of a cardiac arrest," we believe confidence comes from knowledge. Yes, AEDs are designed to be user-friendly, but would you want your first time touching one to be during an actual emergency?

As Dr. Christian Verdicchio, CEO of Heart Support Australia, says, "The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest without a defibrillator are negligible, but with an AED being used it significantly increases their chances of survival."

The key word here is "using" the AED effectively. While anyone can follow the voice prompts, proper training builds the confidence that could make all the difference in a real emergency.

We're excited about this legislation because it aligns perfectly with our mission: making lifesaving skills accessible and memorable. Our CPR and AED training:

Can be done at your workplace, building or facility
Makes learning enjoyable
Builds real confidence in emergency situations
Creates capable responders who act quickly and effectively

Choose local and buy SA

I’m passionate about supporting the SA community's compliance with this life-saving legislation. Not only do I offer CPR and AED training but I can also support you with your AED placement and compliance before 2026.

Know that when you choose us, you’re supporting a local SA business that understands the unique requirements of our state's legislation. We make CPR and AED training engaging, memorable, and compliant.

Building heart safe communities

This legislation represents more than compliance. It's about creating heart-safe communities across South Australia. Every minute matters in an emergency, and it could be the difference between life and death.

Resources and References

Make sure you are across the legislation before it’s too late.

Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Act 2022 (SA)
AED Public Access Regulations 2024
Best Practices Guide, SA Health
South Australia’s new defibrillator law, AED Authority
AED Register, SA Ambulance Service

The information provided in this blog offers general insights only. The content is not intended to serve as medical advice and if you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 000 immediately.

This article provides general information about the AED legislation based on publicly available sources current as of July 2025. For specific legal advice about your obligations, consult with legal professionals or refer to the official legislation at legislation.sa.gov.au.

Life-saving legislation in SA: AEDs could improve cardiac survival rates