ACT 7.1.1 Application of Part 3.12 and ACT 7

Alterations, additions and extensions to existing completed buildings that would be subject to Part 3.12 if built now, must comply with Part 3.12 except to the extent that ACT 7 permits otherwise. ACT 7 provides concessions on certain aspects of Part 3.12. The BCA does not directly require unaltered parts of the existing building to be brought into BCA compliance, but certain other requirements do. For example—

• the ACT Building Act 2004 requires certain buildings that have more than 50% oftheir floor area altered in a 3-year period to brought into BCA compliance, subject to concessions in the ACT Building (General) Regulation 2008; and
• use of the ABCB’s glazing calculator requires all relevant glazing in each storey of a building to be assessed. In the case of an extension to an existing building with existing windows, any new windows in the extension as well as old windows in the existing part of the building need to be assessed together if they are on the same storey, subject to concessions in ACT 7; and
• certain discretionary concessions in ACT 7 require certain energy efficiency measures to be in place in the existing part of the building to be extended, such as thermal insulation to the existing roof, or window blinds, curtains, drapes, pelmets or shutters to existing windows.