The Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) is responsible for determining the qualifications and experience required for registration as an architect and accrediting architectural courses in conjunction with schools of architecture.
ARBV Board members are nominated or elected by key industry associations and the Minister for Consumer Affairs. Members are appointed by the Governor in Council on recommendation of the Minister for Planning.
Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) was established to make buildings safer by removing combustible cladding. It oversees the rectification process of affected buildings, providing support and guidance to building owners, and coordinating funding and resources for cladding-related works.
The CSV Board is appointed by the Governor in Council on recommendation of the Minister for Planning.
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is the regulator for building and plumbing in Victoria. It monitors and enforces compliance with the Building Act, and building and plumbing regulations.
The VBA Board is appointed by the Governor in Council on recommendation of the Minister for Planning
The Building Appeals Board (BAB) hears appeals and disputes in relation to building control matters. The BAB can waive, modify or vary the application of particular building regulations or the Building Code of Australia in specific circumstances.
The BAB operates in panels (usually 3 or more members) to consider specific matters brought before it.
BAB consists of professionals drawn from various fields related to the building and construction industry, including building surveyors, architects, engineers, town planners, builders, lawyers, and consumer advocates who possess extensive experience in their respective domains.
BAB members are appointed by the Governor in Council on recommendation of the Minister for Planning.
The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) is responsible for advising the Minister for Planning on matters including draft regulations prepared under the Building Act, in particular the extent to which proposed regulations that promote the objectives of the Act are cost effective and necessary.
The BRAC consists of members who are nominated by key industry associations and Minister for Emergency Services and the Assistant Treasurer.
Members are appointed by the Minister of Planning.
The Plumbing Advisory Council (PAC) is responsible for advising both the Minister for Planning and the Victorian Building Authority in relation to Part 12A (Plumbing Work) of the Building Act, the plumbing regulations and the plumbing industry.
The PAC consists of members who are nominated by key industry associations and Ministers responsible for legislation relating the plumbing industry. Members are appointed by the Minister for Planning.
National building bodies
Victoria’s building regulatory framework is influenced by and can have impacts on the regulatory framework nationally.
Key national bodies each have a defined role, functions and criteria for membership which are agreed between state, territory and commonwealth governments.
Building Ministers’ Meeting
The Commonwealth Government Minister and State and Territory Ministers responsible for building and plumbing regulatory matters meet through the Building Ministers’ Meeting (BMM).
Chaired by the Commonwealth Minister for Industry, Science and Technology . The Minister for Planning is Victoria’s representative on BMM.
A key function of the BMM is to oversee the work of the Australian Building Codes Board and set priorities for national policy work, which will principally be delivered by the Senior Officers’ Group.
Australian Building Codes Board and the National Construction Code
The ABCB is a standards writing body that is responsible for the National Construction Code (NCC). The ABCB is a joint initiative of the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments, together with the building and plumbing industries.
The NCC is Australia’s primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings. The NCC is composed of:
The Building Code of Australia
The Plumbing Code of Australia
The NCC is a performance-based code, which sets the minimum required level for the safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability of most types of new buildings.
The ABCB, on behalf of the Australian Government and each State and Territory government, produces and maintains the NCC. The ABCB consists of:
the Chair
Commonwealth, State and Territory administration representatives responsible for building matters
representative of the Australian Local Governmental Association
The Senior Officers Group (SOG) provides policy advice to the BMM on building and plumbing issues of national significance.
The SOG comprises senior departmental staff from each State and Territory and the Commonwealth and facilitates collaboration to develop strategic responses to issues affecting the building industry nationally.
Building Regulators Forum
The Building Regulators Forum (BRF) provides a forum:
Where state building regulators can share intelligence about potential areas of non-compliant building products or broader industry non-compliance which may have national implications.
To develop consistent approaches to such non-compliance where relevant.
The VBA, as the state’s building and plumbing regulator, participates in the BRF.
