The speaker is Reza Bostani.
Hi everyone, today, I will take you through the key Victoria’s variations and additions in NCC 2025 for Volume One.
The intention of this presentation is to support Victorian practitioners in preparing for adoption of NCC 2025 by giving a practical summary of the main Victorian variations and explain the reasoning behind the more important changes.
From 1 May 2026, NCC 2025 will be adopted in Victoria.
One of the key themes in this edition is that the number of Victorian variations is being reduced significantly to better align with national requirements and reduce the compliance burden.
There are also some provisions that have a one-year transition period from the date of adoption. Example of this is the structural Performance Solution limitation under Victorian A2G2.
To manage this, the Section 10(2) exemption under the Building Act 1993 allows the RBS to permit construction under NCC 2022 if "substantial progress" was made on the design prior to 1 May 2026.
When exercising this discretion, the RBS must have regard to Minister’s Guideline MG-13. This ensures that the transition is evidence based, relying on design contracts or planning applications.
With the governing requirements. Victoria continues to use its own version of A2G2 through VIC A2G2.
The first point is that VIC A2G2(5) is unchanged from NCC 2022, so the existing ban on Performance Solutions for combustible cladding remains in place.
The second point is that new National clause for the Performance Solution pathway for B1P1 (A2G2(5)) is now a Victorian limitation.
As explained on the previous NCC 2025 presentation series, Nationally, NCC 2025 deals with structural Performance Solutions for B1P1(2) through A2G2(5), which requires the solution to be at least equivalent to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions.
In Victoria, the Performance Solution must be achieved by demonstrating equivalence to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions under A2G2(1)(b), and it must also be shown to comply with the Performance Requirements through comparison with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions under A2G2(2)(d).
Victoria retains the ability to use Expert Judgement as an assessment method to assess against all performance requirements apart from B1P1 (2), and the intend is not to create a new practical burden.
By retaining expert judgement as an assessment method for structural and fire safety performance solutions, it enables current practice as per NCC 2022.
This Victorian limitation takes effect one year after adoption of NCC 2025, which will be 1st May 2027.
With the definitions.
In NCC 2025 Victorian variation, 3 definitions have been deleted:
· Children's service
· Early childhood centre and
· flashing
as they are no longer needed as separate VIC terms.
In practice, this means the code now relies more on the national wording and removes unnecessary duplication.
As children’s services is deleted, the Victorian definition for early childhood centre is no longer necessary and the national definition is adopted.
For flashing, the separate roof flashing reference has been removed as it is already captured within the national definition.
Definition of children’s room is now included in NCC 2025. Victorian variation is providing clarity to what is a children’s room referred to in Clause VIC D2D24. Which is replicated from the Children Service’s Regulations 2009. And that’s the room used exclusively for the care or education of children, but does not include a toilet, a kitchen, an administration room or any other ancillary area.
For the restricted children’s service, the definition is retained and updated to align with the current legislation. The reference to ‘children’s service’ is no longer italicised, reflecting the deletion of the defined term from the NCC
The overall effect is clearer wording, simpler interpretation, and a more consistent approach for designers, consultants, builders, and building surveyors.
Some Victorian definitions remain unchanged from NCC 2022. Residential care building (Vic), shared accommodation building & combustible cladding product are some of these definitions.
Let’s move to the clause's updates in Volume One.
VIC B1D6(3) had an editorial correction to refer to the national defined flood level definition.
D2D1 is amended to bring the VIC D2D24 within the scope of Part D2. This ensures the doorway requirements for children’s rooms are properly linked to the relevant access and egress Performance Requirements.
VIC D2D5 is deleted, meaning the national clause now applies in full. In practice, this reduces the need for a separate Victorian variation, as early childhood centres, including children’s services, are captured through the national framework.
VIC D2D9 has two main changes as a result of relocating provisions from Vic I4D3.
First, Vic D2D9(1) adopts a consistent approach with the national requirements under D2D9, this change will align the requirement for class 9c buildings to the national approach.
Second, D2D9 (2) specifies the requirement for 900 millimetre bedroom doorways in Class 3 and Class 9a residential aged care buildings which were previously under Vic I4D3.
This relocation brings existing Victorian accessibility-related requirement into a more appropriate access and egress provision.
VIC D2D24 has been introduced as the result of relocating VIC I6D3 to a more relevant part of the code and the wording has been slightly amended to clarify the requirements.
Under the Clause VIC D2D24, in an early childhood centre, a children’s room must have a doorway providing direct access to or from an outdoor play area, a passage leading to an outdoor area, open space, or a fire isolated exit.
And if the children’s room has more than 21 children, the requirements of doorways increases to at least 2 doorways. which are separated as far as possible.
Vic D3D26(1) has been introduced to replace the national D3D26(1). This is the result of moving the requirements in Vic D3D26(6), which consequentially has been deleted, to a more prominent and relevant clause improving readability.
The clause also updates reference of children’s service to early childhood centre, restoring the intended scope of the variation.
All required exit doors must open without a key and must use one simple action.
If the door uses a downward hand action:
In early childhood centres when doors not opening to an outdoor space: the latch must be 1.5 m to 1.65 m high, and the door must close fully after each use.
In all other locations: latches must be 900 mm to 1.1 m above the floor.
If the area must meet accessibility requirements: the handle must prevent hand slipping and have 35 to 45 mm clearance behind the grip, or if the door uses a push‑action device:
In early childhood centres (doors not to outdoor space): latch height must be 1.5 m to 1.65 m, and the door must self‑close, and in all other locations: latches must be 900 mm to 1.2 m above the floor.
Vic E1D7 which applied to shared accommodation buildings and class 3 residential care buildings has been deleted. The requirements for class 3 residential buildings are now captured under the national E1D7. The requirements of sprinklers for shared accommodation buildings are now captured under Vic E1D6.
Vic E1D13 has been deleted to align the sprinkler requirements of occupancies of excessive hazard with the national Clause.
Vic S17C2 is deleted in NCC2025. This clause provided additional requirements for covered balconies in Class 2, 3, 9a and 9c buildings. The requirement to provide sprinkler protection to these balconies is maintained through a new clause S17C15.
VIC S17C15 provides a clearer application of the variation and removes the need to vary specific clauses in referenced documents whilst maintaining the current policy setting for sprinkler protection of covered balconies.
It is also noted the references to Class 4 are redundant as where a building is sprinkler protected; any Class 4 part will also be protected as well.
Vic S18C3 is deleted in NCC2025. This clause provided additional requirements for covered balconies in Class 2 and 3 buildings.
The requirement to provide sprinkler protection to these balconies is maintained through a new clause Vic S18C5.
VIC S18C5 provides a clearer application of the variation and maintains the current policy setting for sprinkler protection of covered balconies.
Clauses VIC S20C4 (4) and VIC S20C8 are deleted to align with the national approach. NCC 2022 variation included specific smoke detection zone indication and monitoring.
Victoria’s variation for laundry facilities performance requirements under VIC F4P2 is deleted due to changes to restricted children’s services.
The requirements in Vic I4D5 for grabrails at every closet pan, shower and bath used by residents in Class 3 and 9a residential aged care buildings and Class 9c buildings, in accordance with AS 1428.1. have been moved to clause Vic F4D2(6). This brings sanitary facility provisions together making it easier to locate and apply in practice.
VIC F4D4 has been updated mainly to better align with current Victorian policy and the National Quality Framework for children’s services. For example, under subclause (9), children’s services are now subject to the same requirements as early childhood centres. Subclause (15), which was previously subclause (12), now deals with restricted children’s services. The renumbering happened because of broader national changes, including the introduction of new provisions for all gender toilets
VIC F4D13 has been amended to remove references to places of public entertainment from the NCC clause. First aid room requirements still remain for large assembly buildings and open spectator stands. However, requirements specific to places of public entertainment are intended to be addressed through the Building Regulations 2018, rather than through NCC 2025.
Variations contained in Part F5 remain unchanged.
VIC G1P2 and VIC G1D2 are deleted, with Victoria aligning with the national provisions. Importantly, deleting the Victorian variation does not remove the requirement as it applies to early childhood centres. It simply means those requirements are now picked up through the national framework rather than through a separate Victorian clause.
Part G5, which deals with bushfire-prone areas, has its Victorian variations removed as they are no longer needed. The Victorian variations largely replicated the national requirements, Victoria will now rely directly on the national framework, reducing duplication and regulatory redundancy.
Part I4 has been significantly reorganised rather than entirely removed. Several older Victorian clauses, including VIC I4P2, I4D2, I4D3, I4D4 and I4D5, are deleted to reduce duplication and improve alignment with the national NCC.
Importantly, some of those requirements have not disappeared. Instead, key requirements have been relocated into more appropriate clauses elsewhere in Volume One. For example, the 900 millimetre bedroom doorway requirement now appears in VIC D2D9, and the grabrail requirement now appears in VIC F4D2(6).
Former VIC I4D6 is renumbered and amended as the new VIC I4D2. One of the refinements is that a continuous audible tone may no longer be appropriate in circumstances where personal staff communication devices are used.
Part I5, which previously dealt with Victorian variations relating to places of public entertainment, is deleted from the NCC framework, with POPE-specific requirements to be addressed through the Building Regulations 2018.
VIC Part I6 previously included an additional Performance Requirement and Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions in Section D for Class 9b children’s services. As part of restructuring for clarity and readability, clause I6D3 has been relocated to clause VIC D2D24, covering doorways to a children’s room, as discussed earlier. As a result, Part I6 has been deleted.
Regulation 147AA (modification to the BCA Volume one in relation to sprinkler system requirements), was introduced to address a Victorian sprinkler reference issue under NCC 2022.
With NCC 2025 removing those Victorian specific clauses, this regulation will be consequentially deleted.
Thank you for your time, if you have any specific questions, please give us a call or send us an email to technicalenquiry@bpc.vic.gov.au.