Plumbing Connection Winter 2016

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4 6 PLUMBING CONNECTION WINTER 2016
KEEPING UP-TO-DATE WITH THE
NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CODE
THE AUSTRALIAN BUILDING CODES BOARD (ABCB) PRODUCES A VARIETY OF RESOURCES TO KEEP YOU INFORMED
AND UP-TO-DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CODE (NCC). WHEN YOU REGISTER
FOR THE NCC ONLINE ) YOU WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO OPT-IN TO COMMUNICATIONS WHICH
INCLUDES THE AUSTRALIAN BUILDING REGULATION BULLETIN (ABRB).
T he ABRB provides technically based information directly
relevant to the building and plumbing industry and
the community. Hot topics such as NCC changes and
amendments are examples of what you will find within this
online publication.
Read on for the latest information on NCC changes for 2016.
NCC 2016 – OVERVIEWOF CHANGES
NCC 2016 brings some significant changes which will affect
all users of the code. For readers who have not yet had the
opportunity to get across it, this article provides an overview
of the most important changes, including new General
Provisions for all three Volumes, and major technical changes
for both the BCA and PCA.
THE NEWNCC GENERAL PROVISIONS – ENGENDERING A
PERFORMANCE MINDSET
The General Provisions, in Section A of each Volume (Section
1 in Volume Two), describe how the NCC operates; what the
mandatory requirements are, and how they are met. In NCC
2016, the General Provisions have been re-written to make the
performance-based format easier to understand by clarifying
that only the Performance Requirements must be met — using
the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions is just one option for doing
this.
The changes mainly cover Part A0 (Volume Two, Part 1.0)
which is now consistent across all three Volumes, and includes
simpler descriptions of how the performance-based NCC
applies, updated terminology — Alternative Solutions are now
called Performance Solutions — and a new diagram to help
understand the NCC compliance structure. See below.
These changes flow on to the performance ‘hierarchies’
at the beginning of each Part of the NCC. Also, as part of
the focus on performance, the Objectives and Functional
Statements for Volume One have been moved to the Guide; in
Volumes Two and Three they are now Explanatory Information.
This reflects the intention of the Objectives and Functional
Statements, which is to provide guidance on the mandatory
Performance Requirements.
| NCC ONLINE
BULLET I N
Issue 17 | April2016
Welcome to the latesteditionof theABRBwhich features
manyof theNCC2016changes thatarealso the subject
ofour recent road showsaround thecountry, the
NationalSeminarSeries. Significantly italso represents
the lastannualeditionof theNCCas theABCBmoves toa
three-yearamendmentcycle. Oneof thekeydiscussions
and featurepointsof thisparticularedition isaround the
useofperformance,whichofcoursehasbeena focusof
the reformagendaof theABCB for the lastcoupleof
years, and is featured in thechanges to theNCCaround
thegeneralprovisions.
TheABRBalso focusesonneweducationandawareness
tools thatwearedevelopingandwillcontinue todevelop
aswemovedown thepathof trying toassistpractitioners
and liftcompetency in theirunderstandingof theCode.
Wealso talkaboutWaterMark,which ismovingquickly
towards its July releaseasan improved schemeand
thereareanumberof features thatwewant toconvey to
practitionersof theplumbing industry that shouldnothave
a significant impacton theway theyoperate.
TheABRBalsopoints to thekeydecisions that theBuilding
Ministers’Forum recentlymade in regard tocladdingand
concernsaround the fire risksofhigh risebuildings.
GM’S INTRODUCTION
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING REGULATION
Thiswilloccupyquitea significantpartof theABCB’s time
moving forward. But I thinkoneof the reallykey things to
emphasise is thatultimately itcomesdown to industryand
practitionersworkingclosely together toensure that they
actuallyachievecompliance. Thecodecanonlygo so far in
tellingpractitionerswhat it is that theyneed todo. Beyond
that it isup to individuals tomake the rightdecisionsand
choices inorder toensure thatdesign,constructionand
productsare fit forpurpose in termsof theirapplication to
differentbuildingprojects.
Wecertainlyhopeyougeta lotofvalueoutof reading
this setofarticlesand look forward tobringing
thenextedition toyou in thenear future.
The ABRB provides technical information pertaining to the
building and plumbing industry.
COMPLIANCE
LEVEL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
PERFORMANCE
SOLUTION and/or DEEMED-TO-SATISFY
SOLUTION
COMPLIANCE
SOLUTIONS
FIGURE: NCC COMPLIANCE STRUCTURE