02 What’s In
Staying safe By Emma Green, NATSPEC Communications
For many, the greatest investment of their life is their home. Poor design is not acceptable. Compliance issues in the construction industry are still at the forefront of public consciousness. The impact of events like those at Lacrosse, Neo200, Opal and many others in Australia and overseas remains apparent today. Particularly following the Shergold and Weir Building Confidence Report (BCR) published in 2018, the extent of noncompliance and the need to improve building safety has been evident. State and territory governments pledged action. It is clear that past non-compliance will affect industry regulation and practice for years to come. In their responses to the BCR, state and territory governments were quick to emphasise that the building industry has a duty of care to the consumer. Design and building practitioners have been put on notice that governments will hold them responsible for design and workmanship well past the handover to the purchaser. In states and territories where building designers do not currently need to be registered, this requirement will soon be in place. The Australia Building Code Board’s draft 2022 National Construction Code (NCC), as well as their work on the implementation of BCR recommendations, underlines building designers’ obligations to better understand the NCC and to provide full documentation. At the core of compliance is the issue of public safety. It’s simple: when building practitioners do not comply with regulations, this puts people’s safety at risk. Problems caused by non-compliance can also disastrously affect individuals’ and companies’ finances, as well as building practitioners’ reputations, even the industry’s reputation in general. In New South Wales, the Government is currently prioritising Class 2 buildings as part of its ongoing response to the BCR. New regulations requiring building practitioners to declare certain designs for compliance and rectify any design issues prior to construction came into effect on 1 July. Other states and territories are taking similar approaches, prioritising specific industry areas.
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Queensland’s Safer Buildings Taskforce focuses in particular on combustible cladding; and in Victoria, building surveyors have been required to comply with a code of conduct since January this year. As part of the nationwide effort to overhaul industry compliance, NATSPEC has released a reference specification for Class 2 buildings. This reference specification was developed in cooperation with the NSW Government but is applicable nationally. Sold on a project-byproject basis and updated every year, it sets out the minimum requirements for Class 2 buildings, allowing building practitioners to verify that materials, products and techniques are fit for purpose. The reference specification covers the majority of design and construction scenarios; as such, not every worksection will be relevant to every project team member. Building and trade professionals focus on the worksections that apply to them. The comprehensive document facilitates communication between everyone involved in the project. As a reference specification, it cannot be edited and is only binding when paired with all project-specific requirements, such as schedules, drawings, models and amendments to the reference specification. Industry-wide compliance will be achieved through industry-wide effort. NATSPEC’s Class 2 Reference Specification is part of this goal, providing easy access to minimum requirements and improving communication between all project team members. As always, quality documentation helps achieve a quality result – including a safer construction industry. NATSPEC maintains the National Building Specification, as well as other reference specifications for Government departments. NATSPEC is a not-for-profit organisation owned by Government and industry and has been a valued part of the construction industry for over 45 years. For more information, visit www.natspec.com.au.
