TECHNICAL BRAD ARMITAGE HIA NSW Assistant Director Building Services BUILDING REGULATIONS UPDATE This article provides an update of a few – (of the many) building regulation changes NSW has seen lately. Swimming Pools Regulation 2018 in the immediate vicinity of the pool for a Section 22 exemption from the The NSW Government has remade and must remain in place until the local council. However, the barrier must the Swimming Pools Regulation 2008. relevant occupancy certificate or still comply with the Swimming Pools The Swimming Pools Regulation 2018 certificate of compliance has been Act 1992. commenced on 1 September 2018 and is issued. This part of the regulation • Increase in the maximum fees that local now in effect. commences 1 March 2019. authorities may charge for inspections What are the key changes for builders? • Clarification that compliance with the • Greater flexibility in options for securing •A new obligation for occupiers to display BCA may be achieved using either spa pools, for example a lockable lid, a warning notice while a swimming pool a deemed-to-satisfy or performance complying with the regulation may is being constructed. The regulation solution pathway. This means that be used. requires that the sign bears a notice an A1 or A2 Certifier can approve Planning for Bushfire Protection stating the words ‘This swimming pool a performance solution related to a 2018 – Pre-release (NSW) is not to be occupied or used’ . The sign swimming pool barrier without the need must be located in a prominent position for the owner of the property to apply Planning for Bushfire Protection is the planning document referenced in NSW Legislation which contains specifications for building on land identified as bush fire prone. It covers from strategic planning and subdivision right through to technical construction requirements. The NSW Rural Fire Service has conducted an extensive review ofPlanning for Bushfire Protection 2006 (PBP 0 , and6) after industry consultation has released Planning for Bushfire Protection 2018 (PBP 18)(as a pre-release version). Technically the provisions of PBP 18 will not commence until the commencement of NCC 2019 (1 May 2019). Until then, PBP 06 remains in force, however PBP 18 may be used as part of a performance solution, in consultation with NSW RFS. PBP makes amendments/variations to Australian Standard AS 3959 Construction of Buildings in Bushfire Prone areas. In other words some parts of the standard (AS 3959) do not apply in NSW. PBP 06 contained an appendix which outlined these variations. From May 2019, all variations to bushfire construction requirements for NSW will be noted in PBP, and in the BCA’s NSW variations. P18 BUILDING NEWS ISSUE 5/2018