Consultation period: 8 September to 30 Novermber 2020
This information was authored by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. The policy functions transferred to the Treasury in May 2025.
Overview
We’re reviewing the Disability (Access to Premises – Building) Standards 2010.
The purpose of the Premises Standards is to make sure:
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people living with a disability and their family members, carers and friends have equal access to public buildings
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building certifiers, developers and managers fulfil their responsibilities to people with disabilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992
The Standards:
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apply to new buildings
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apply new work like renovations on existing buildings
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could apply to an existing building
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cover common areas of apartment buildings
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don’t cover people’s homes
The National Construction Code contains these Standards. The code makes access requirements mandatory, and state and territory regulators can enforce them. The Australian Human Rights Commission can also investigate and resolve complaints of unlawful discrimination on disability grounds.
Why we are consulting
The law says we need to review the Premises Standards every 5 years. This is our second review and we’re in the discovery phase.
We want to hear from anyone affected by the Premises Standards. We want to understand if the Standards are working as intended and where we could improve them.
You can be:
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someone with a disability
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a family member, carer or friend
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a disability advocate
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in the building industry
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from government or local council
Your initial feedback will help us work out what to focus on in our review..
Later we’ll ask for more detailed feedback on a discussion paper. You’ll have ongoing opportunities to comment.
Documents
- Easy Read guide [PDF 681.3 kB Easy Read guide | DOC 177.2 kB Easy Read guide]
- Offline survey form [PDF 308.8 kBOffline survey form | DOC 84.9 kB Offline survey form]