It has finally been agreed on the National Building Ministers forum that new minimum accessibility Standards, based on the Silver Performance Level of the Livable Housing Australia (LHA) Design Guidelines, will be incorporated into the new Building Code of Australia (BCA/NCC).

The handrails must have a diameter between 30mm-50mm with a 50mm clearance to an adjacent wall and must not have any obstructions to the top 270 degree arc. It is highly recommend that builders and designers use 30mm diameter handrails for better grip as the fingers can wrap around the handrail.

Braille and tactile signs are required within buildings to mainly assist people with vision impairments. They also provide to help assist all building occupants with locating various facilities within a building.

Passenger lifts must comply with Clause E3.6 of the BCA or AS1735.12-1999, which is the Australian Standard referenced in the BCA (Schedule 4 of the BCA). If the lift travels less than 12m the car size must be a minimum 1100mm wide x 1400mm deep and if the lift travels more than 12m, the car size must be a minimum 1400mm wide x 1600mm deep (with the exception of stretcher lifts).

Handrail extensions are important safety features as required by AS1428.1-2009, as they ensure the safety of everyone who’s using the stair or ramp especially those with an ambulant or vision impairment.

In the simplest terms, Performance Solutions are used to justify not meeting the requirements/measurements outlined in the building code with regards to disability. Performance Solutions allow for flexibility in addressing these Performance Requirements and are utilised when the Deem-to-Satisfy provisions are not met.

Australia has become the first country in the world to regulate for adult change facilities in its building code. From 1 May 2019, the National Construction Code (NCC 2019) requires a new type of public toilet called ‘Accessible Adult Change Facilities’ to be included in certain classes of public buildings.

Certifiers will no longer be accredited, but rather as registered certifiers they will be subject to new conflict of interest provisions which effectively prohibit a certifier from providing professional services with respect to design and compliance with the Building Code of Australia, as well as acting as the principal certifier for the same development.