The Office of the Building Commissioner has recently provided clarity on the application of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) in construction projects. Understanding this is vital, as adherence to industry practices might not necessarily equate to compliance with legal requirements.
According to Clause 145(1)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000, when a project is executed in stages and involves multiple Construction Certificate (CC) applications to cover distinct building phases, the edition of the BCA applicable to each stage is determined by the date of the respective application. Consequently, the BCA version chosen for the initial CC application doesn’t dictate subsequent project stages. Typically, a considerable time gap exists between the first CC application and subsequent ones for later phases of the project. This mechanism facilitates the swift integration of knowledge enhancements and innovative updates from each BCA revision, contributing to the creation of safer and superior structures.
These developments are particularly pertinent in light of ongoing legislative reforms in the building and construction sector. These reforms aim to rebuild consumer trust within the industry, with a specific focus on residential buildings.
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