Please note: To view the design of this web site, you need a browser that supports web standards. The content of this site is accessable (with no formatting) to any browser. Upgrade to a Web standards compliant browser.
Accesskeys: home=1, skip over navigation=2, search=3

The Building Code of Australia
 Printer Friendly

What is the Building Code of Australia?

The Building Code of Australia (BCA) is a set of performance guidelines for the design and construction of new buildings, and for new building work in existing buildings such as additions and alterations.

The BCA is produced and maintained by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) on behalf of the Commonwealth Government and each State and Territory Government. State and Territory Governments are responsible for building regulation within their jurisdiction, and the BCA is applied as the minimum technical requirement.

The Building Code and Access

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the basis of disability in a range of areas, including access to premises. In relation to buildings, the Disability Discrimination Act requires that all people are able to access any premises which the public is entitled to enter or use, including services and facilities in those premises.

People who design, build, own, manage or lease premises must also comply with State and Territory building regulations based on the Building Code of Australia. The building code has requirements for access for people with disabilities and refers to the Australian Standards for the minimum requirements. Currently, the BCA only covers certain design and construction issues in new buildings and buildings undergoing alterations or additions. It does not meet all the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act in relation to access, which include all aspects of the building's environment and use.

The ABCB aims to modify the BCA so that its provisions for people with disabilities reflect the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. These proposed changes would allow the BCA to be referenced as part of  the Disability Standards for Access to  Premises which are being formulated under the Disability Discrimination Act. The technical requirements of the Premises Standards would therefore be equivalent to those reproduced in the BCA. The intention is that if a building complies with the BCA, it will also be compliant with the Premises Standard.

For further information, see: