As Australia’s built environment becomes more complex and performance expectations continue to rise, passive fire protection remains one of the most critical yet often overlooked components of building safety. Designed to contain fire and smoke, protect structural integrity and support safe evacuation, these systems form the foundation of a building’s fire resilience. Yet failures in design, installation, inspection and ongoing maintenance continue to expose significant risks, often remaining undetected until it is too late. The session will examine the challenges facing passive fire protection across the building lifecycle and explore how greater accountability, compliance and industry collaboration can help strengthen safety outcomes in an increasingly complex built environment.