Building Reform Community of Practice

Have your say on the proposed changes to the next edition of the National Construction Code (NCC).

Engineers Australia is putting together a submission to the Australia Building Codes Board regarding their proposed 2025 edition of the NCC. The NCC is updated every 3 years and this is your chance to provide feedback on the suite of new amendments to the code. Feedback for EA's submission will be required by 21 June 2024 and will be informed by the conclusions this Community of Practice comes to.

Main topics that are being considered in this revision are:

• Commercial building energy efficiency
• Carpark fire safety improvements
• Condensation mitigation
• Improving waterproofing and water shedding provisions
• Improving structural Performance Solutions
• Improving fire safety Performance Solutions
• Adequate toilets for women
• Improvements to plumbing provisions
• Apartment energy efficiency – centralised heated water systems
• Housing energy efficiency – thermal breaks
• Assisting future electrification and EV charging in homes
• Re-entry from fire-isolated exits
• Hybrid photoluminescent exit signs
• NCC Referenced documents
• Fire hazard properties
• Use of an Accredited Testing Laboratory
• Alternative referenced documents

Details about the amendments to the proposed areas are provided in the attachments. If you have any thoughts about the proposed amendments, please put it in the discussion thread and it will be considered in EA's formal submission to the ABCB. Particular areas of interest to EA are around fire safety, energy efficiency, condensation, waterproofing, structural and electrification

For further details and full copies of the proposed NCC please see the ABCB's website: National Construction Code 2025 Public Comment Draft

From a fire point of view, I have no issues with the proposed changes and generally support them all.

I am a strong believer that there is no role for expert judgement in fire engineering. If you can't demonstrate a solution using engineering judgement, with appropriate calculations, research, support, then is it a robust solution? However, some of our members have concern with this, which I believe is more of an education issue about what a qualitative absolute assessment actually is.

Have your say on the proposed changes to the next edition of the National Construction Code (NCC).

Engineers Australia is putting together a submission to the Australia Building Codes Board regarding their proposed 2025 edition of the NCC. The NCC is updated every 3 years and this is your chance to provide feedback on the suite of new amendments to the code. Feedback for EA's submission will be required by 21 June 2024 and will be informed by the conclusions this Community of Practice comes to.

Main topics that are being considered in this revision are:

• Commercial building energy efficiency
• Carpark fire safety improvements
• Condensation mitigation
• Improving waterproofing and water shedding provisions
• Improving structural Performance Solutions
• Improving fire safety Performance Solutions
• Adequate toilets for women
• Improvements to plumbing provisions
• Apartment energy efficiency – centralised heated water systems
• Housing energy efficiency – thermal breaks
• Assisting future electrification and EV charging in homes
• Re-entry from fire-isolated exits
• Hybrid photoluminescent exit signs
• NCC Referenced documents
• Fire hazard properties
• Use of an Accredited Testing Laboratory
• Alternative referenced documents

Details about the amendments to the proposed areas are provided in the attachments. If you have any thoughts about the proposed amendments, please put it in the discussion thread and it will be considered in EA's formal submission to the ABCB. Particular areas of interest to EA are around fire safety, energy efficiency, condensation, waterproofing, structural and electrification

For further details and full copies of the proposed NCC please see the ABCB's website: National Construction Code 2025 Public Comment Draft

Have your say on the proposed changes to the next edition of the National Construction Code (NCC).

Engineers Australia is putting together a submission to the Australia Building Codes Board regarding their proposed 2025 edition of the NCC. The NCC is updated every 3 years and this is your chance to provide feedback on the suite of new amendments to the code. Feedback for EA's submission will be required by 21 June 2024 and will be informed by the conclusions this Community of Practice comes to.

Main topics that are being considered in this revision are:

• Commercial building energy efficiency
• Carpark fire safety improvements
• Condensation mitigation
• Improving waterproofing and water shedding provisions
• Improving structural Performance Solutions
• Improving fire safety Performance Solutions
• Adequate toilets for women
• Improvements to plumbing provisions
• Apartment energy efficiency – centralised heated water systems
• Housing energy efficiency – thermal breaks
• Assisting future electrification and EV charging in homes
• Re-entry from fire-isolated exits
• Hybrid photoluminescent exit signs
• NCC Referenced documents
• Fire hazard properties
• Use of an Accredited Testing Laboratory
• Alternative referenced documents

Details about the amendments to the proposed areas are provided in the attachments. If you have any thoughts about the proposed amendments, please put it in the discussion thread and it will be considered in EA's formal submission to the ABCB. Particular areas of interest to EA are around fire safety, energy efficiency, condensation, waterproofing, structural and electrification

For further details and full copies of the proposed NCC please see the ABCB's website: National Construction Code 2025 Public Comment Draft