As of 2 June 2018, the Victorian Government enforced changes to the the Building Regulations 2018 that governs the building industry. While these changes don’t
impact PSI’s practices, they will have an impact on our customers’ processes, such as builders and building surveyors. It’s important to be across these new regulations
because, if not followed, there can be delays and penalties in the planning and building process.
An overview of the regulation changes have been sourced from The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and highlighted below for PSI customers’ convenience:
2. Registered building surveyor (RBS) to now document the decision of protection works and make a decision on all applications.
3. New mandatory inspection stages for fire and smoke resisting elements in class 2-9 buildings
4. The Regulations have been modernised for the electronic use of documents for permits.
5. Updated requirements for the chief officer, RBSs and building practitioners in relation to documenting performance solutions.
6. New building permit reporting requirements commencing on 1 July 2019.
7. New obligations for the RBS to provide notice 30 days prior to a building permit lapsing to minimise lapsed permits.
8. Clear obligations on the RBS and the owner to inform the adjoining owner about protection work.
9. Introducing a new mandatory notification stage and inspections if the building work includes fire and smoke resistant building elements, which are lightweight construction in multi-storey residential buildings, and service penetrations in multi-storey residential and healthcare buildings. The Regulations also clarify the prescribed mandatory notification stages for demolition work or the construction of a pool.
10. The Regulations clarify the obligations of owners in relation to Essential Safety Measures (ESM) maintenance, and encourage the uptake of maintenance schedules to simplify information for the owner. They also clarify the notification requirements in relation to pool barriers.
11. As-of-right construction of a Class 10a building with a floor area not exceeding 10m2 on undeveloped land.
12. Formalising the process for granting a determination to treat two or more allotments as a single allotment for the purpose of a building permit application.
For more information on the Building Regulations 2018, the DEWLP has provided a great breakdown here.