Structures (buildings)

Decree amending the Building Decree 2012 and the Environmental Structures Decree regulating the safety coordinator in the immediate vicinity and certain other amendments

This Decree applies certain amendments to the Building Decree 2012. The same amendments are also applied to the Environmental Structures Decree, which will replace the Building Decree 2012 as soon as the Environment and Planning Act comes into force. The amendments are part of the policy development to meet the objectives for the building regulations.

Most of the provisions in this draft Decree may contain technical regulations.
The amendments can be subdivided into the following policy objectives:
1. Safety:
- rules on the safety coordinator in the immediate vicinity of a construction and demolition site;
- improved fire and evacuation safety for older and vulnerable persons in dwellings and residential buildings;
- strengthened requirement on the minimum height of partitions on bridges used by cyclists.
2. Accessibility:
• strengthened and expanded accessibility requirements on entrances and stairs.
3. Sustainability:
• strengthened environmental performance for buildings.
This Decree also technically transfers the existing legislation from the Environmental Management Activities Decree to the Environmental Structures Decree. This transfer does not apply any substantive policy amendments.
Article 1.3 of the Building Decree 2012 and Article 1.2 of the Environmental Structures Decree contain an equivalence clause that also applies to this amendment.