Building Regs.

For those who might be considering between tyoes of buildings to invest in, the Victorian government is about to make some substantial retrospective changes to building regulations which might affect your decisions.

1. Changes to smoke detector, (hard-wired) and sprinkler requirements.,,

Regulation 16: Hard-wired smoke alarms or smoke detection systems
Regulation 16 would add a new Regulation 5.16 to the principal regulations and would have the
effect of requiring the installation of hard wired smoke alarms in all Class 9a residential care
buildings and in all Class 1b and Class 3 buildings (e.g. boarding or guest houses or hostels)
constructed prior to 1 August 1997. There are currently no retrospective smoke alarm requirements
in relation to Class 9a buildings constructed before August 1997, while the existing requirement for
Class 1b and 3 buildings constructed prior to that date is only for the installation of battery powered
alarms. The effect of the change would be to raise the minimum requirement for pre- August 1997
buildings in these Classes to a level more consistent with that applicable to post- August 1997 Class
1b, 3 and 9a buildings.
Regulation 16: Shared accommodation buildings
Regulation 16 would also add a new Regulation 5.17 to the principal regulations. This would
require the installation of sprinkler systems in all shared accommodation buildings within three year
of the commencement of the regulation. Shared accommodation buildings are defined in the
regulation as sole occupancy units capable of providing sleeping accommodation for three or more
persons or a building capable of providing sleeping accommodation for thirteen or more persons.

Talk-back radio was suggesting that these regs will apply to apartment blocks and motels, to name just a couple.

2. From mid 2004, all electrical fittings and cables will disapear from hardware shop shelves and only double adapters, extension leads and the like will be able to be bought by non-electricians. This presumably includes hard-wired light fittings, switches and the like. All will be unavailable.