ABR-Online Edition Three

Dear Building Practitioner

Welcome to another edition of the ABR Online.

We have just held another successful ABCB Conference with over 500 delegates joining us on the Gold Coast to hear from a great range of local and international speakers and to participate in a number of topical plenary sessions.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all attendees and sponsors for their continued support.

We have been busy preparing the 2010 edition of the BCA and, in particular, the proposed amendments to the Energy Efficiency provisions.  A Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) for Energy Efficiency measures was released in September and to assist the consultation process, we produced our second webcast which presented the methodology and findings contained in the RIS for Commercial and Residential buildings.  We continue to receive extremely positive feedback on the benefits of the webcast medium.  The period for public comment drew to a close on 30 October.  The submissions received are being reviewed to enable the matter to be considered by Government.

As a matter of urgency, and in response to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, the ABCB has commenced work on a national standard for the design and construction of bushfire bunkers for personal use.  We will classify bunkers as a structure according to the BCA.  A wide range of challenges face designers of such bunkers, including protection against heat and flame, the need to maintain tenable air quality and a means to communicate with the outside world.  As the next bushfire season approaches, we note however, that the regulation of bushfire bunkers is not a stand alone solution, rather a part of a wider set of measures to deal with the mitigation of bushfire risk.  Further information on the bushfire bunkers standard is included in this edition of the ABR Online.  The ABCB will also be responding to the findings of the Royal Commission in due course.

Finally, I encourage you to look out for details on our National BCA 2010 Seminar Series to be conducted in all capital cities from late March 2010.

Yours sincerely

Ivan Donaldson
General Manager

• The Bushfire Bunker Project
  The Board has commenced preliminary work on the development of a national standard for the design and construction of bushfire 'bunkers' for personal use...read more
  
  
• Communication update: Proposed Energy Efficiency Measure for BCA 2010
  The changes to the energy efficiency requirements of the BCA that are proposed for inclusion in BCA 2010 are being assessed through Regulation Impact Statements... read more
  
  
• Building Australia's Future (BAF) 2009 Conference
  Held every two years, the BAF Conference is the premier event for practitioners of the regulatory building environment.  This year the event was held at the RACV Royal Pines Resort at the Gold Coast... read more
  
  
• Code Compliance, Accessibility and a Great Global Icon
  Accessibility is one of the challenges the Sydney Opera House has been actively addressing since 1995, given the complex nature of the building's structural configuration and the need to preserve its heritage status.  On the back of general increased awareness of the Disability Discrimination Act and movement towards BCA harmonisation with disabled access standards, significant effort has been made to increase accessibility into the Sydney Opera House...
  read more
  
  
• Brian Meacham was one of the keynote speakers at the Building Australia's Future (BAF) Conference 2009
  With a background in Fire Protection Engineering, Brian discusses the regulatory regime comparisons between the US and Australia... read more
   
• Increasing to 6 star energy efficiency provisions and beyond
  The Association of Building Sustainability Assessors, as the national membership association and accrediting body for building thermal performance assessors, welcomes the increased stringency of the proposed BCA provisions on energy efficiency.  The changes fit with the organisation's vision for house and unit designs that will produce both thermally comfortable and energy efficient buildings... read more
  
  
• Jon Traw gave an insightful presentation on his global research into Bushfire/Wildland regulations to the Building Australia's Future (BAF) Conference 2009
  Jon spoke about his findings and the issues involved in protecting life and property... read more
  
  
  
• Australian Standard for the protection of trees on construction sites
  Aborists and building developers now have an agreed framework for the protection and preservation of trees during all stages of building and construction projects... read more

Calendar of Events

BCA 2010 Information Seminars

BCA 2010 Has Changed!

• Air2energy for Heat & Energy Recovery Ventilation
  Air2energy are the Australasian distributors of the Venmar range of Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators as well as supplying Enthalpy Wheels, Flat Plat Exchangers (both sensible and sensible/latent) and Heat Pipe for new or existing HVAC applications... read more
  
  
• SAI Global offer
  The Building Code of Australia (BCA) includes references to over 150 Australian Standards.  Failure to comply with referenced Standards could be damaging to your... read more
  
  
• Promatect 40 Fire Resistant Roof - Developed in light of Australia's Bushfire Prone Residential Areas
  Considerable resources help Australians cope with the annual bushfire risk.  Many houses employ inherently fire resistant walls but, paradoxically, roof structures are often overlooked... read more
  
  
• Architectural Framing Systems (AFS) - the Wall of all Walls
  AFS 262 is the latest release wall panel from AFS LOGICWALL - Structural Walling Systems.  AFS 262 represents the overall thickness in mm of the wall with a cavity of 250mm and with a stud profile designed to carry two horizontal reinforcement bars... read more
  
  
• The FMA Australia Knowledgebase
  The Facility Management Association of Australia has launched an industry knowledgebase as a member service for Facility Managers and related property industry practitioners.  Published by Wintercomms, the Industry Knowledgebase boasts around 1000 articles, all neatly categorised into about 40 categories and sub-categories... read more