Submission to Productivity Commission on Standards and Accreditation Study.
 
I am a building designer and a licensed builder and have operated a design practice for the past 26 years. 

It is essential in the operations of the design practice that access to and knowledge of the required standards relating to all current and future building projects is readily and easily accessible .

These standards referenced in the BCA form an integral component in project design considerations and form the basis of many conditions of consent referenced by council in approving development applications which are integrated into all subsequent project design / construction documentation.  

The yearly cost of access to these standards is prohibitive. If you purchase access to the standards on disc, the use of the disc is limited to a year as an inbuilt feature prohibits access thereafter. The limited access to these standards on disc costs over a $1000.00 - $1500.00 per year but should have unlimited access once the disc is purchased or be available on the internet with a cost per download of a standard.

To achieve the integration of these standards into built projects and to enable the communication of these standards to all involved in the design and construction of building projects then access to all standards required by those design professionals, builders, tradespeople etc. and the broader community should be made available in a format that is easy and cost effective.

For the use of standards to be effective and to operate with intent requires easy access which is cost effective to the majority not the minority or the intention and objectives for the use of standards is lost.  

As a building designer accredited by the Building Designers Association of NSW, I would also ask that national recognition of building designers accreditation be assessed at a national level for implementation throughout Australia.

John Hatch
Principal
JMH Living Design