What are the requirements for compliance and conformance?

The requirements for building products are set through the National Construction Code (NCC), state and territory building and planning laws and other specialist regulatory regimes.

All building products and materials must be ‘fit for purpose’ under the NCC. The NCC requires that evidence of suitability be established to demonstrate that a material, design or construction meets a Performance Requirement or Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Provision.

It is the combined planning and building regulation laws in each jurisdiction that give legal effect to the NCC. These laws generally require compliance with the NCC as a condition of being granted a planning and building approval. Compliance with the NCC includes a requirement to select products that are ‘fit for purpose’. The planning and/or building regulator in each jurisdiction has responsibility for regulation of compliance and conformance of building products and materials used in building work.

In addition to planning and building, some products and materials are regulated by specialist regulatory regimes including consumer law, electrical, and gas regulations.