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Building regulation and certification are important parts of the planning system in New South Wales.
The planning system supports sustainable development and seeks to ensure that buildings are safe and that they meet the performance expectations of the community both at the time of their construction and throughout their effective lives.
The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 specifies the types of approvals that are required to undertake building work in NSW, and the matters that must be satisfied as part of those approvals.
This includes that building work complies with the relevant requirements of the Building Code of Australia, which forms a part of the National Construction Code.
The Development Certification and Fire Safety Regulation commences on 1 January 2022. It replaces provisions that were previously located within the EP&A Regulation 2000.
The Development Certification and Fire Safety Regulation supports the provisions of Part 6 of the EP&A Act. The regulation sets out the detailed requirements for undertaking building work in NSW.
The regulation contains the key operational provisions for building regulation and certification, including those relating to:
Most provisions in the new regulation have been transferred from the EP&A regulation with only minimal changes. This table lists the existing clause numbers of the EP&A regulation and the corresponding numbers of the new regulation.
For more information, refer to the frequently asked questions or contact regulation.review@planning.nsw.gov.au.
Since 1 November 2019, the building policy team has been relocated to the Department of Customer Service.
The Department of Customer Service operates a Building Code Advisory Service to provide general information and advice on the Building Code of Australia and related matters. This service operates between 9.30am and 11.30am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The Building Code Advisory Service can be contacted on (02) 9372 9271.
New building and subdivision certification provisions applying to occupation certificates commenced on 1 December 2019.
Under the Regulation, new and existing buildings require certain fire safety certification to maintain building fire safety.
Under the Regulation, owners of certain buildings with external combustible cladding are required to register their building with the NSW Government through the simple, user friendly NSW Cladding Registration portal.
The National Construction Code is a uniform set of technical provisions for the design, construction and performance of buildings throughout Australia.
Plan your career as a certifier and help shape the future of NSW in a secure role with loads of opportunity and build a strong network across the building profession.
