Public record: Board Meeting 2024 - 1

This is a Public Record of the Australian Building Codes Board meeting held on 18 - 19 March 2024.

Meeting opening and administrative matters

• The meeting opened with Acknowledgment of Country.
• The Board noted attendance, apologies, and disclosure of interests any potential or actual conflicts related to matters on the agenda.
• The Board dealt with meeting administrative matters and received reports from the Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Value proposition

• The Board discussed the best way to describe the value proposition of the ABCB.
• The Board agreed that the purpose of the ABCB remains unchanged.
• The Board agreed that the issues to take forward to Ministers include consumer confidence in higher density living, supply of dwellings, intergenerational equity, productivity and net zero.

Draft 2024-25 Business Plan

• The Board discussed the draft 2024-25 Business Plan.
• The Board agreed that further work on the 2024-25 Business Plan is required, to be discussed at an out-of-session meeting.

Work underway by the Commonwealth (embodied carbon)

• The Board noted the actions that the Commonwealth is taking, or considering, to address the issue of embodied carbon in buildings.

ABCB energy efficiency calculator

• The Board agreed to release a beta version of a Housing Energy Efficiency Calculator as a tool to support the use of the NCC 2022 elemental provisions.

Standards

• The Board agreed to support the adoption of updated NCC reference documents published between each new edition of the NCC via a ‘live’ register. More information will be provided once the register is developed.

Lead in plumbing

• The Board noted a report on progress on the transition of lead free plumbing products.

BCC and PCC charters

• The Board agreed to adopt new BCC and PCC Charters

Technical committee minutes

• The Board noted the minutes of the Building Codes Committee meetings held 13 November and 28-29 November 2023 and the Plumbing Code Committee meeting held 16 November 2023.

Board steering committee updates

• The Board noted the updates on the recent activities of existing Board Steering Committees.

• The Board discussed early issues that may have a strategic impact on the future work program of the ABCB.

ABCB risk register

• The Board noted updates on the ABCB risk register.
• The Board agreed to review the revised risk register again at its next meeting.

ABCB calendar

• The Board noted the upcoming ABCB calendar of events.

Summary of PFCs

• The Board noted the statistical summary of the current status of proposals for change (PFCs).

Financial reports

• The Board noted the ABCB financial reports as at 31 December 2023.

Business plan project status report

• The Board noted the 2023-24 Business Plan project status report to 31 December 2023.

Education initiative

• The Board noted the update on education initiatives and activities (1 October to 31 December 2023).

• The Board thanked Michael Burdett (SA) and Maxine Loynd (Commonwealth) for their contributions and noted that this was their last meeting.