The Australian National Construction Code NCC has historically been confined to regulating building design to preserve health and safety, e.g. prevention of building collapse. By adopting Deemed-to-Satisfy Australian Standards, it does (to some extent) also consider serviceability.
In recent decades, the building regulations have been extended to also encompass societal issues such as climate change and building greenhouse gas emissions.
However, all such scope extensions have building cost implications, and this has sparked a backlash by the building industry associations.
Now is the time for informed formal discussion amongst practising engineers, builders, academics and economists, with the aim of advising regulators on consensus policies which sensibly consider the interaction of health, safety, amenity, serviceability life cycle cost … and public expectations.
Australia cannot afford delay and procrastination.
Read #QueensPawnToD4 by #RodJohnston
#NationalConstructionCode #Building #Seismic #Earthquake #Regulation #Geopolitics #Climate #GreenhouseGas
