News

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LATEST NEWS

Seminar on Monday: An essential seminar on access changes in public buildings
The Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards (Premises Standards) are due to come into force on 1 May 2011. They will lead to significant improvements in the level of access required in new buildings and existing buildings undergoing renovation. These half day seminars are being held throughout Australia and will provide designers, builders, building owners, managers, access consultants, advocates and professionals in the building approvals area with an overview of the Premises Standards and their effect when they come into force. Melbourne 6 and 7 September,  Read more (297KB) or Register online now

Building Amendment (Bushfire Safety) Regulations 2010
The Building Amendment (Bushfire Safety) Regulations 2010 amend the Building Regulations 2006 to ensure that specific bushfire safety measures continue to be applied to Class 1a buildings that are being rebuilt following the 2009 bushfires and are located in a Wildfire Management Overlay but exempt from the planning permit process.

The specific bushfire safety measures are:
- the provision of dedicated on site water supply for fire fighting purposes; and 
- the provision of access for emergency vehicles.

Where a building permit application does not comply with the specific bushfire safety measures the consent of the chief officer must be obtained.

NatHERS Fact Sheet
The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme [NatHERS] sets national standards for the software used to rate the thermal performance of Australian homes, in order to verify compliance with energy efficiency provisions in the Building Code of Australia. Recent media interest in the Scheme has prompted the Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency to produce a Fact Sheet explaining its operation. Get the fact sheet and Read More

Site assessment methods to be made consistent
Some Victorians in BAL-FZ, the highest bushfire attack level, have experienced issues meeting the defendable space and vegetation management requirements in existing subdivisions covered by a Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO).These difficulties are partly due to the inconsistencies in the site assessment processes used.To remove the inconsistency created by the different processes, the CFA, the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) and the Building Commission formed a joint working group to consider developing single site assessment guidelines.
 
All parties are now in agreement and propose that the BAL assessment methodology of AS 3959-2009 be used for all building and planning permit applications from a date to be determined, most likely before the end of the year. Read More
 

Updated Bushfire Regulations
On Tuesday August 24, the Governor in Council approved the making of the Building Amendment (Bushfire Safety) Regulations 2010. These regulations replace the Building Amendment (Bushfire Construction) Further Interim Regulations 2009. They prescribe provisions for water supply and access on sites where a dwelling is being rebuilt following the 2009 fires, and an exemption from the WMO applies. The Regulations are now available on-line at www.legislation.vic.gov.au.

Looking to "Find an RBP" or to Login to the RBP Area?
We have recently made a couple of changes to the Buidling Commission homepage but you can still find both of these functions on the site. You can find the RBP Resources Area (formerly the RBP Members Area) on the left hand side menu, second from the bottom, this will take you to the login. To Find an RBP click on the eToolbox link on the right of this page.

Royal Commission Government action announced
Victorian Premier John Brumby says the Government will adopt in full or in part 66 of the 67 recommendations from the Bushfires Royal Commission. The only recommendation not under consideration is the "retreat and resettlement" scheme.

The Premier's Media Release stated that "The Government has accepted in full or in part 66 of its 67 recommendations, with recommendations not accepted in full based on a combination of expert advice and feedback received from communities."

In terms of planning and building, the Victorian Government has committed $28.5 million to better integrate building and planning in bushfire-risk areas,  including new local policy solutions and changes to the requirements of vendors selling a home in a bushfire-risk area, an enhanced focus on vegetation management and an extension of the Government's 10/30 rule for landowners. For more information read the Media Release from the Premier of Victoria.

Wood Solutions 2010
WoodSolutions 2010 is a one day forum for building design professionals with innovative and inspirational presentations by leading international and local speakers on the structural and aesthetic use of wood. Wood Solutions will be held in Sydney on 7 September, Melbourne on 9 September and Brisbane on 15 September. The forums also qualify for CPD points. Registration and further information is available at www.woodsolutions2010.com.au.

Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution(GAIC) Comes into force - 1 July 2010 
The Planning and Environment GAIC Bill 2009 was passed by Parliament on 25 May 2010. This new law introduces the Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC), which begins operation on 1 July 2010. A copy of the Act is available at http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/.

What land does the GAIC apply to?
The GAIC applies to growth area land (in the councils of Casey, Cardinia, Whittlesea, Hume, Melton Wyndham and Mitchell) which has been brought into the Melbourne Urban Growth Boundary either in 2005-06 and which is zoned for urban development, or in 2010 and zoned as Urban Growth Zone. It will also apply to land brought into the UGB in the future, and which is zoned as Urban Growth Zone. The relevant land is known as the "contribution area."

The GAIC is triggered by the first GAIC event which occurs in relation to contribution area land. Information about these GAIC events, the exemptions and exclusions, and applications for staged and deferral arrangements, and for hardship relief are available on the information sheets available through the websites of the Growth Areas Authority or the State Revenue Office. For further information please contact the Growth Areas Authority at www.gaa.vic.gov.au or (03) 9651 9600 or the State Revenue Office at  www.sro.vic.gov.au or 13 21 61.

Insulation demand
Due to the significant increase in demand for insulation caused by the Federal Government's now discontinued Home Insulation Program, there may be a large supply of thermal insulation that is not compliant with the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Many suppliers have imported stock sitting in warehouses following the cessation of the program. In an effort to clear excess stock, some suppliers of imported insulation may try to sell it at a reduced price to the home building industry.

The ABCB has published an information sheet relating to the potential for non-compliant insulation to be sold into the house building market.