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 Two.
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 H1P1 (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 H1P1(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 H1P1 (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 NCC 2025, Vic variation for H1D10, Retained with no change. The same referenced Standard remains applicable within VIC Schedule 2.
In practice, we need to identify if the site is within a flood hazard area. Continue to apply the freeboard and construction requirements per the ABCB Flood Standard. Ensure close coordination with local council flood overlays and drainage authority advice during the design and approval phases.
For H2D6(3) – This is an editorial change. This variation is retained as this type of work is plumbing work in Victoria and maintains consistency with the PCA.
AS/NZS 3500.3. continues to be the only method for satisfying performance requirement H2P1 for the design and construction of gutters and downpipes.
The Victorian transitional variations regarding rainwater tanks in Part H6 have been completely removed from Volume 2. These provisions previously served as a temporary measure. This change ends the transitional arrangements for rainwater tank energy efficiency requirements in Victoria.
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.