On the 1st September 2021, the Building Regulation 2021 commenced which replaced the Building Regulation 2006. Please be aware that since this release, all building forms have been updated as well as there are now some additional inspection forms. Here are the key points: A building certifier is the only…

Is an approval required and what information do I need? These days, buying a garden shed has never been easier. You can simply and securely purchase a garden shed from the comfort of your home if you wish. If you are in the market for a new outdoor storage shed,…

Last month, Australia's building ministers agreed at their meeting to include minimum accessibility standards for residential housing and apartments in the 2022 National Construction Code (NCC) based on the Livable Housing Design Guidelines (LHDG) silver standards. The NCC public comment draft (stage 1) is open until Friday, 2 July, 2021.…

You may have heard you need to get a building approval to start works on a shed, carport or other structure. But, did you know you don’t have to go through council to get your building approval? Private certifiers inspect and approve building work to make sure it complies with…

All structures in cyclonic areas require building approval (certification) regardless of size. Therefore, in Cairns, this includes anything with a roof, patios, garden sheds and even decks with no roofs. If you fill in under your house or change a garage (non-habitable) to a bedroom (habitable), it all needs an…

An exciting new announcement was released by the Federal Government this month. They are introducing a limited time, tax-free grant program called the ‘HomeBuilder’. The program was designed to assist the residential construction market to encourage the commencement of new home builds and renovations through the Coronavirus pandemic. According to…

The Australian Building Codes Board Resource Videos Did you know The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has a YouTube Channel? The channel offers a collection of videos to help people within the industry to better understand the National Construction Code (NCC) including the Building Code of Australia (BCA). The videos…

As of the 13th of November 2019, we received a Newsflash from the Department of Housing and Public Works advising certifiers that we no longer are required to obtain certificates for plumbing under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (PDA). Local governments are responsible for administering requirements of the PDA…