Building Regulations Advisory Committee

The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) is an independent statutory body established under section 210 of the Building Act 1993 (the Act).

The BRAC functions are set out in section 211 of the Act.

These are to:

  • advise the Minister on:
    • draft regulations prepared under the Act
    • the administration of the Act and the regulations
    • the impact on the building regulations system
    • issues relating to the building permit levy
    • any matter referred to it by the Minister.

and

The BRAC comprises 16 members who have been appointed by the Minister for Planning for their expertise. You can download the BRAC terms of reference (PDF, 1123.44 KB).

Committee members (as at 16 September 2022)

  • Yvonne von Hartel AM (Chair)
    Commissioner, Victorian Building Authority
  • Heidi Smith
    Nominated by the Property Council of Australia
  • Virginia Kneebone
    Nominated by the Minister for Finance
  • Andrew Andreou
    Nominated by the Minister for Emergency Services
  • Nick Karatatis
    Nominated by the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors
  • Steven Baxas
    Nominated by Melbourne City Council
  • Regina Bron
    Nominated by the Australian Institute of Architects
  • Peter Collina
    Member with building industry experience
  • Richard Drew
    Nominated by Engineers Australia
  • Marisa Muchow
    Lawyer
  • Natalie King
    Nominated by the Master Builders Association
  • Tony Enright
    Consumer Advocate
  • Peter Zagorski
    Nominated by the Housing Industry Association
  • Mehran Khademollah
    Nominated by the Municipal Association of Victoria
  • Greg Blanch
    Nominated by Design Matters National

The 2022 year in review

Over the 2022 calendar year, 10 BRAC meetings were convened in addition to monthly sub-committee meetings and project working group meetings.

The BRAC reviewed and considered applications for building product accreditations and provided valuable feedback to the Minister for Planning on policy development, draft regulations and matters relating to the building industry.