I'm pleased to be speaking with you all again, as we mark the halfway point of what has been a busy 2023.
NCC 2022
As was communicated earlier this month, the Minister for Planning announced that Victoria would extend the transitional arrangements for the adoption dates for the new livable housing, energy efficiency and condensation mitigation requirements in NCC 2022 until 1 May 2024.
This will provide all practitioners who need it, more time to get up to speed with these changes, while they continue to use the relevant provisions of NCC 2019 in the interim.
This does not prevent those that feel confident that they are across these changes to start applying them to their work now.
The new energy efficiency and condensation mitigation requirements will be at the forefront of the push to make housing in this state more sustainable. They'll also make homes cheaper to run, more comfortable to live in and more resilient to extreme weather.
The VBA hosted a Practitioner Education Series webinar on NCC 2022 Energy Efficiency Volume 1 on 28 July. The recording of that webinar is now available to watch on the VBA YouTube Channel.
The new livable housing design requirements are a significant advance in providing more housing options for people with physical disabilities and older Australians. They will improve the suitability of new Australian homes for people with mobility constraints, which is long overdue.
Remember, you can head to the VBA website to learn more about NCC 2022.
ABCB advisory note on EV charging
Market demand for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging in buildings continues to grow, presenting new challenges for industry, regulators and first responders.
The ABCB will proceed with issuing guidance to industry to support improved safety and consistency in the installation of EV charging in buildings. To help industry, the ABCB has published a new advisory note.
ABCB commissioned a report from EV FireSafe, Electric Vehicle & Charging Safety for Emergency Response, that provides practitioners with further guidance on the risks to be considered in building designs with EV charging.
Kind regards,
Andrew Cialini,
VBA State Building Surveyor
In this edition...
Building Documentation Audit Program - Class 1a report (PDF, 802.98 KB)
The VBA's Building Documentation Audit Program (BDAP) is a regulatory initiative that seeks to identify and reduce non-compliant building work in Victoria. The latest BDAP Class 1a report (July 2022 - February 2023) is now available.
Reminder: Building surveyor obligations under regulation 47
Regulation 47 requires a relevant building surveyor to provide certain information within seven days after the end of each month.
Application of Clause C2D6 of NCC Volume 1
Clause C2D6 (formerly Clause C1.5) of NCC 2022 Volume One is being incorrectly applied in two storey Class 2, 3 or 9c buildings.
Water ingress – balconies, decks and terraces
Check out our highly popular online guide on water ingress, which followed our research on indoor mould and moisture damage in Victorian residential buildings. It is aimed at consumer awareness and education to identify and act earlier on warning signs.
Updated FRV Fire Safety and Consultation application forms
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) has updated some of its application forms, which will be applicable and required to be used from 1 July 2023. They can be found on the FRV's Building Industry - Applications for Fire Safety Reports and Consultation web page in the link above.
