VBA Building Technical Bulletin – February 2024
Welcome to the first edition of the Building Technical Bulletin for 2024.
As the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) works to become a Trusted Regulator, it's important that our unique line of sight to industry and practitioners is not only maintained, but strengthened.
Recently, some key legislative changes under the Building Legislation Amendment Act 2023 have come into force. These include the renaming of two registration classes and the commencement of the State Building Surveyor as a statutory appointment, which I am privileged to be assuming in an acting capacity.
The State Building Surveyor as a statutory appointment has additional functions not previously available to the role as an executive of the VBA. These include, where appropriate, consideration of Binding Determinations on the technical interpretation of building and plumbing regulations, codes and standards.
A new webpage providing information to industry, practitioners and consumers about the role has been published on the VBA website and includes FAQ: State Building Surveyor.
In this edition of the Building Technical Bulletin, you will find key information about mandatory notifications, protection work and compliant metal roofing installation.
The topics included in each Bulletin are developed by VBA people, with insight from practitioners and industry and aim to address harms and improve the safety of the built environment.
Kind regards,
Andrew Cialini,
VBA State Building Surveyor
In this edition...
What you need to know about mandatory notifications
Everybody in the building system has a part to play in ensuring a safe and compliant building industry.
Approved form for failure to comply with section 33
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has introduced an approved form for the notification of contraventions of Section 33(1) and Section 33(2) under Section 33(3) of the Building Act 1993. Building surveyors are obliged to comply with the notification requirement to assist the VBA with action aimed at improving builder compliance.
Industry Alert: Deep Excavation on or near a boundary
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has recently received an increase in complaints where a Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS) has determined protection work is not necessary, despite excavations on or near a boundary, placing the adjoining land at risk of significant damage.
Building surveyors are reminded of their obligations under regulation 47 to ensure they are providing the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) with certain information within seven days after the end of each month, in the form approved by the VBA.
Making decisions about protection work
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) regularly receives complaints where the RBS failed to decide protection work was required to an adjoining property, when site circumstances did require protection work.
Metal Roofing Installation & Condensation Management
It has come to the attention of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) that where metal roof cladding is to be installed, in conjunction with roof sarking to satisfy National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 bushfire requirements via AS 3959, or where sarking is installed that there are requirements under the roof ventilation Deemed to Satisfy (DtS) provisions of the NCC 2022, requiring practitioners to pay careful attention to the detailing of the metal roofing and the sarking.
Case studies of inspections of Class 2 and 9b buildings
A proactive inspection of a three-storey apartment building, (with lower ground carpark), identified the balconies' waterproofing membranes did not continue under the windowsills and there were no subsill flashings, contrary to FP1.4 of Volume One of the BCA/clause 2.8.3 of AS 4654.2.
New building FAQ page
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has published answers to frequently asked questions from building practitioners. It is accessible through the Building Practitioner Resource Hub.
These will be regularly updated and currently includes topics such as:
- The difference between protection work and building work.
- The responsibilities of the RBS in relation to protection work.
- Glazing work under a domestic building license.
- Guidelines under the Building Regulations 2018
Code of Conduct obligations
Building surveyors are reminded about their obligations under the Building Surveyor Code of Conduct to have effective procedures in place to ensure the completion of your work in case of an inability to practice due to reasons such as absence, incapacity, registration lapsing, suspension or retirement.
This includes as a private building surveyor, having arrangements in place to allow an applicant to seamlessly transfer their building permit to another building surveyor in case of your inability to practice for example, because you have a prolonged illness or you are due to retire or any other reason.
For more information, visit the Code of Conduct webpage.