Submitted in February 2015, FWPA’s Proposal-for-Change (PFC) to the National Construction Code proposes fire-protected timber (light-weight & massive systems) provisions for mid-rise Class 2 (apartments), Class 3 (hotel/motel) and Class 5 (office) buildings below 25m effective height (measured to the topmost floor level) incorporating sprinklers.
Following the provision of requested supporting documentation and drafting assistance, the draft is now available for public comment from now until 3rd August 2015. The Board will meet in November, and if the changes are approved, they will be implemented in early May 2016.
Familiarising stakeholders with the contents of the proposal, and the performance data on which it is based, is an important part of minimising objections to the change. To this end, technical briefings and/or presentations have been delivered to the following organisations:
- Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) technical staff
- Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC)
- NSW Department of Planning & Environment
- FM Global (Insurance)
- Building Codes Queensland
- ABCB Building Codes Committee (BCC) technical briefing
- Attended BCC meeting to respond to questions
- CGU Insurance
- Building Commission – W.A.
- Building Standards & Occupational Licensing – Tasmania
- Property Council of Australia
