NCC 2019 Volume 1 Amendment 1
Australian Building Codes Board
The NCC is Australia’s primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings. As a performance-based code, it sets the minimum required level for the safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability of certain buildings. It primarily applies to the design and construction of new buildings, and plumbing and drainage systems in new and existing buildings. In some cases it may also apply to structures associated with buildings and new building work or new plumbing and drainage work in existing buildings.
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), on behalf of the Australian Government and each State and Territory government, produces and maintains the NCC. When determining the content of the NCC, the ABCB seeks to:
Ensure requirements have a rigorously tested rationale; and
Effectively and proportionally address applicable issues; and
Create benefits to society that outweigh costs; and
Consider non-regulatory alternatives; and
Consider the competitive effects of regulation; and
Not be unnecessarily restrictive.
The primary users of the NCC include architects, builders, plumbers, building surveyors, hydraulic consultants, engineers and other building and plumbing related professions and trades.
The NCC provides the technical provisions for the design and construction of buildings and other structures, and plumbing and drainage systems.
NCC Volume One primarily covers the design and construction of multi-residential, commercial, industrial and public assembly buildings and some associated structures.
This resources contains:
Governing Requirements
Performance Requirements
Compliance options to meet the NCC requirements
State and Territory variations and additions
The NCC uses building classifications to identify requirements for different intended purposes of buildings or parts of buildings. A building classification relates to the characteristics and the intended use of the building. Information on building classifications is found in Part A6 of the Governing Requirements.
Legislative arrangements and the NCC:
The NCC is given legal effect through State and Territory, or other statutory authority, building and plumbing legislation. These Acts and Regulations set out the legal framework and administration mechanisms for the NCC to support the design and construction of buildings.
How to use the NCC:
Each volume of the NCC is split into two main sections:
1. Administrative requirements contained within the Governing Requirements.
2. Technical requirements contained within the remaining sections of the NCC.
The Government Requirements provide the rules and instructions for using and complying with the NCC. They are vital in understanding how the technical requirements of the NCC should be applied to any particular situation. The Governing Requirements are also important in understanding how the NCC fits with the buildings and plumbing regulatory framework within Australia.
NCC Volume One contains the following Sections:
Section A: Governing Requirements
Section B: Structure
Section C: Fire resistance
Section D: Access and egress
Section E: Services and equipment
Section F: Health and amenity
Section G: Ancillary provisions
Section H: Special use buildings
Section I: * * * * * (Section I provisions were removed in NCC 2014)
Section J: Energy efficiency
Schedules—
State and Territory appendices
Abbreviations and symbols
Definitions
Referenced documents
Fire-resistance of building elements
Fire hazard properties
Fire Safety Verification Method
Section A contains the mandatory Governing Requirements for the NCC. Sections B to J contain the mandatory Performance Requirements and the pathways that can be used to comply with the NCC.
