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.
Learn more about the Building Ministers' Meeting.
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
- industry representatives
Visit the Australian Building Codes Board.
Senior Officers Group
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.