The Federal Government is reviewing the law that ensures people with a disability, family members, carers and friends, have equal access to public buildings.
The Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) sets the requirements and technical specifications building practitioners must comply with when designing public buildings. This includes common access areas in apartments and facilities. The National Construction Code (NCC) contains these requirements, and states and territories enforce them.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon. Karen Andrews MP, in consultation with the Attorney-General for Australia, the Hon Christian Porter MP, is commencing the review of the Premises Standards through a discovery process. This will help shape the review, terms of reference and an issues paper for the second round of consultation.
Anyone affected by the Premises Standards is invited to provide input. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER) is particularly keen to hear from people living with a disability, and those who assist and advocate for them. For example, they’d like to learn more about their experiences accessing public buildings and common areas day to day.
They would also like building developers, managers and certifiers to tell their experiences complying with the Standards and NCC. This may include navigating differences in each state and territory’s approach to exemptions and concessions.
To learn more and to have your say, please visit the Consultation Hub. This consultation is open until 2 November 2020. There will be more opportunities to have your say throughout the review. DISER expects to wrap up in May 2021 with improvements to the Standards.
Outcomes of the last review
This is the second review since the Standards came into effect in 2011. After the first review in 2015-16 and the Government’s response to the review, DISER implemented key recommendations. They are presently finalising technical amendments to the Standards.
Outcomes included:
- Technical amendments to align the Premises Standards with the National Construction Code;
- Providing for adult accessible change facilities; and
- Establishing an expert advisory group to guide and assist with later reviews.