Page 1191 - Week 03 - Thursday, 18 March 2010
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that BCA 2010 indicate the ACT will adopt BCA 2010 from 1 May 2010. A decision to transition the BCA’s increased energy efficiency provisions will be made in consultation with key stakeholders now that the BCA 2010 provisions have been published.
(b) A regulation under the Building Act may prescribe further detail about BCA adoption. In 2006 when the BCA increased energy efficiency requirements for housing from 4 star equivalence to 5 star equivalence, a regulation transitioned application of that increase for 7 months for class 1 and 10 buildings that had development approval had already been applied for, and 12 months for other classes of building that development approval had already been applied for. That approach will be considered for BCA 2010. Further consultation with industry will be required for some classes of building that showed a significantly negative cost-benefit ratio.
(c) The appropriateness of some provisions will need to be considered before determining if the ACT will not eventually adopt a BCA 2010 provision, or to adopt a provision with variation. For example provisions for hot water heaters need to be sufficient for ensuring that appliances work effectively and efficiently in the ACT’s coldest periods.
(3) The ACT contributes money and staff to help run the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), its secretariat and committees. The ABCB secretariat undertakes national public and industry consultation on, and awareness about, BCA changes. Industry also has a representative on the ABCB. The ABCB secretariat has organised awareness seminars, which for BCA 2010 will focus on the increased energy efficiency requirements. ACTPLA will present an ACT-perspective paper at the ABCB’s BCA 2010 awareness seminar in March 2010. ACTPLA has emailed an invitation to that seminar to all ACT licensed building surveyors and registered architects. Several hundred local practitioners generally attend the ACT seminars each year. After the seminar a peak industry body will run a workshop focusing on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning requirements of non-residential buildings under BCA 2010. Information about BCA 2010 changes is also published on the ABCB web site and communicated through ACTPLA’s newsletters. ACTPLA and the ABCB secretariat have staff that regularly answer industry questions about BCA changes. The Building Act requires that a newspaper notice be published notifying adoption of each edition of the BCA.
(4) The ACT Planning and Land Authority did release a discussion paper regarding the ACT House Energy Rating Scheme (ACTHERS), which the Member made a submission to on behalf of her party. A proposal to licence building energy assessors is being considered by the Government. An announcement is foreshadowed for April-May this year. The more complex policy issues involved in expanding the scheme are currently being resolved by ACTPLA. Assessors and broader industry groups have been periodically updated on the progress of these proposals.
Housing—solar access and orientation
(Question No 561)
Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Planning, upon notice, on 11 February 2010:
(1) What is the progress of the Government’s work on the issue of solar access and orientation.
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