Information last reviewed at:
17 September 2007
About the Building Code
Page 1 of 4
What is the BCA?
The Building Code of Australia is produced and maintained by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) on behalf of the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments. The BCA has been given the status of building regulations by all States and Territories.
The BCA Goal
The goal of the BCA is to enable the achievement of nationally consistent, minimum necessary standards of relevant, health, safety (including structural safety and safety from fire), amenity and sustainability objectives efficiently.
This goal is applied so–
- there is a rigorously tested rationale for the regulation; and
- the regulation generates benefits to society greater than the costs (that is, net benefits); and
- the completive effects of the regulation have been considered and the regulation is no more restrictive than necessary in the public interest; and
- there is no regulatory or non-regulatory alternative that would generate higher net benefits.
What does the BCA cover?
The BCA contains technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings and other structures, covering such matters as structure, fire resistance, access and egress, services and equipment, and energy efficiency as well as certain aspects of health and amenity.
In December 1994, the ABCB requested its Office to produce a first draft of a performance-based BCA.
At that time, the advantages of a performance-based BCA were seen as allowing cost savings in building construction by:
- permitting the use of alternative materials, forms of construction or designs to the prescriptive requirements;
- the innovative use of materials, forms of construction or designs;
- permitting designs to be tailored to a particular building;
- giving clear information on what the BCA is trying to achieve;
- allowing the designer flexibility in the use of materials, forms of construction or design provided that the intent of the BCA is met (in other words, allow for flexibility provided the performance required by the BCA is met); while still allowing acceptable existing building practices through the deemed-to-satisfy provisions.
The ABCB's Office produced a performance-based version of the BCA which was sent out for public comment during October to December 1995 and released in its final form during October 1996.