The Premises Standards also help building developers, certifiers and managers ensure that buildings comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
The Premises Standards are reviewed at least once every 5 years. Senator the Hon Jonathon Duniam, Assistant Minister for Industry Development, is responsible for reviewing the Premises Standards in consultation with Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Attorney-General. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources supports the Minister in conducting the review.
It also examines practices in other countries to see if any lessons learnt overseas can be applied in Australia.
People living with disability told us they find it easier to access premises that were built after the Premises Standards were introduced. This indicates that the Premises Standards are achieving their objectives.
However, people living with disability also identified emerging issues and areas for improvement. These included:
These issues need to be addressed to ensure the Premises Standards continue achieving their objectives.
Building professionals told us they needed better guidance to help them comply with the Premises Standards. They were particularly concerned about how to apply the Premises Standards to significant works on older and heritage-listed buildings.
Building professionals were also concerned about the inconsistencies among disability standards, state and territory requirements and the National Construction Code (NCC).
Many businesses emphasised a need for practical guidance, such as check lists, to help them improve access for employees when negotiating commercial leases.
Unfortunately this review could not address every issue raised by stakeholders. We will continue engaging with stakeholders to address other issues.
The opportunities for action align with these areas. If agreed by the government, these actions will ensure the Premises Standards continue meeting their objectives.
People living with disability told us they find it easier to access premises that were built after the Premises Standards were introduced. This indicates that the Premises Standards are achieving their objectives.
However, people living with disability also identified emerging issues and areas for improvement. These included:
The Australian Government, in consultation with the Australian Building Codes Office and the states and territories, undertake regulatory impact analysis on:
This work will provide evidence for any future changes to the Premises Standards and the National Construction Code (NCC).
Over a quarter of submissions identified the need for new or updated guidance to help stakeholders understand their rights and responsibilities under the Premises Standards.
The guidance most in need of updating is the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Guideline on the application of the Premises Standards. This is addressed by Action 2a.
Stakeholders also raised the need for guidance on signage requirements, luminance contrasting and wayfinding solutions, which they felt were often overlooked. There is still no consensus amongst majority of the stakeholders on many of these issues, and developing guidance is the first step towards considering these issues in the Premises Standards.
These are all addressed by Action 2b.
To properly assess whether the Premises Standards are achieving their objectives, we need data to help us measure buildings’ compliance with the standards. This is addressed by Action 3.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suscipit malesuada viverra est magna sapien iaculis. Vitae arcu id dignissim enim eget viverra. Integer cras pharetra egestas tempus et volutpat, blandit. Arcu tristique dolor at donec tempor in et dictum vitae. Consectetur ipsum aliquet maecenas elit rhoncus. Cursus vitae duis volutpat condimentum at dignissim rhoncus ut ac. Mauris lobortis lacus tellus risus amet. Vel aliquet bibendum a leo lobortis vulputate. Sit quis quis egestas est amet urna, enim enim.
The AHRC’s Guideline on the application of the Premises Standards is the guidance used most by the building profession and people living with disability.
The opportunity exists for the AHRC, in conjunction with the Australian Government, to review and update the guideline to ensure it is:
This will lead to improved access to premises.
There is an opportunity for the Australian Government, in consultation with people with disability, the AHRC and other relevant stakeholders, to identify, prioritise and develop guidance. This may include:
This review identified opportunities to amend the Premises Standards to improve their effectiveness. This is addressed by Action 4a.
Disability standards including the Premises Standards, the NCC and other Australian standards are updated at different times. This leads to inconsistency across the standards, which causes confusion for stakeholders. The inconsistency is addressed by Action 4b.