[Received by email, 20/04/06]

Re: Submission to Productivity Commission on Standards and Accreditation Study

I have been involved in the building industry since 1980 and now operate as a Building Designer and draftsperson. I am a member of the Building Designers Association of NSW and the HIA.

The Standards are continually being revised so your purchase has a very limited life span. Not good for a small company whose only employees are the directors.

Standards should be able to be accessed in much the same way that local councils have their LEP's and DCP's in PDF format on their websites. To design in  another council area is as easy as looking for the local requirements on the net. It is not necessary to purchase a DCP for each council area that you work in. It is always up to date and freely available as a service. To design using the correct standards should be just the same.

Yours sincerely 

Michael Hughes