Vic – DELWP (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) have announced their review of the Draft Building Regulations 2017, prior to sun setting the 2006 Regulations. In Part 12 – Inspections, notices and orders, and powers of entry, the prescribed Mandatory Inspections of waterproofing in wet areas proposed in the Draft Regulations was defeated by the Building Surveyor industry by arguing adverse legal liability. The new Victorian Building Regulations 2018 will take effect 2nd June, 2018.
Net Result: Licenced Building Practitioners are the only legal body to sign off compliance of waterproofing. If they use a ‘deemed-to-satisfy’ performance solution under the NCC it must comply with AS3740 or AS4654.2. A non-registered contractor (or not head contractor) can not provide a legal Waterproofing Compliance Statement as proof of performance. The Licenced Building Practitioner must supervise the works and take responsibility, with cover under his insurance. The ‘watch dog’ to enforce this legislation is the VBA.
The other change effecting waterproofing works relates to small jobs under the value of $10,000 (previously $5,000). Typically bathroom and balcony renovations requiring waterproofing works on a residential property are less than $10,000. The legislation allows anybody to do these works, with or without knowledge of what is required, with no performance monitoring.
One could easily argue that the huge building industry repair costs caused by water damage to buildings is not helped by weakening the compliance to standards.
