Since the Building Regulation 2021 (BR 2021) commenced on 1 September 2021, additional amendments have been developed to respond to matters raised by industry and provide additional support and clarity for building certifiers.
The Building Amendment Regulation 2022 (Amendment Regulation) has now been approved.
The amendments extend existing professional indemnity insurance exemption arrangements for private building certifiers and clarify inspection requirements associated with stages of assessable building work.
The BR 2021 continues to support the objectives of the Building Act 1975 and generally maintains the obligations and requirements in the BR 2006. The Amendment Regulation will make the following changes to the BR 2021.
The exemption period that allows building certifiers to hold professional indemnity insurance with an exclusion relating to external cladding has been extended from 30 June 2022 to 30 June 2023.
The amendment will:
Amendments to the BR 2021 have been made to clarify some of the inspection requirements for stages of assessable building work.
Amendments clarify who must inspect and approve stages of assessable building work for singledetached class 1a buildings and relevant class 10 buildings or structures.
The amendments clarify that for a single detached class 1a building or a relevant class 10 building or structure:
For single detached class 1a buildings, it remains a requirement for a competent person (for inspections) providing help for boundary clearance work to be a cadastral surveyor. For single detached class 1a buildings, a competent person providing inspection help for building work involving the reinforcement of footings system and formwork and reinforcement for a slab, must be a registered professional engineer.
The amendments also clarify that a building certifier must sign the certificate of inspection for the following stages of single detached class 1a and relevant class 10 buildings or structures:
For relevant class 10 buildings or structures, the above requirements regarding the excavation, footings and slab stage inspections only apply where the assessing building certifier has specified the inspection as a requirement of their building development approval.
It remains a requirement for a building certifier also to sign the certificate of inspection for the final stage of work for both single detached class 1a buildings and class 10 buildings or structures.
For more information on the new legislation, visit the Department of Energy and Public Works website.
For more building industry information, please visit the Business Queensland website.
To provide feedback or any related enquiries, use our Feedback & Enquiries form or visit the Contact us page.
The following are continuing licence classes for existing licence holders only and cannot be issued or restored.
The following are continuing licence classes for existing licence holders only and cannot be issued or restored after 1 May 2021:
The building and construction industry is one of Queensland’s most important sectors.
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) supports Queenslanders by:
On 10 December 2021, amendments were made by the Queensland Government to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Regulation 2018 which will reduce scope of work for the fire protection–water-based system–install and maintain–commercial and industry licence class.
The amendments were made to the scope of work to match the qualifications and endorsements held by a licensee. For example, the amendment will ensure that a person who performs work on fire sprinkler systems must hold a licence that has appropriate qualifications or endorsements for this work.
From 31 March 2022, the scope of work for the above class will be restricted unless the licensee holds a relevant Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (PD Act) licence or other prescribed qualification.
The current scope of work for the fire protection–water-based system–install and maintain–commercial and industry includes:
For licensees who cannot demonstrate they hold the relevant PD Act licence or prescribed qualifications by 31 March 2022, the scope of work for this class will be limited to:
From 31 March 2022, licensees must ensure they only carry out work within their scope that applies to them.
It’s important to consider that a PD Act licence is required to personally perform or supervise regulated plumbing work, including the installation and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
To help licensees and consumers to identify which scope of work applies, the QBCC will note licence scope restrictions on the licensee register.
No further action will be required by licensees who already hold the PD Act licence unless otherwise contacted by the QBCC directly.
Licensees who transitioned to this class from the former Part 26 Sprinkler and suppression systems (reticulated water-based)—install and maintain—restricted to commercial or industrial type licence, are not affected by these changes, and will also retain a full scope of work.
To retain the full scope of work from 31 March 2022, licence class holders must demonstrate that they hold at least one of the following:
Relevant Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 licences
Prescribed qualifications
For company licensees, the scope of work for company licence will be the same as the scope that applies to their nominee.
Licensees who continue the full scope of work on the basis they hold the prescribed technical qualifications, should provide a copy of the prescribed qualification to the QBCC as soon as possible (unless the qualification was provided after 1 May 2021, in which case this does not apply).
Visit the fire protection resources page of the QBCC website for the relevant application forms. If you have any questions about this change, call us on 139 333.
With storm season here the building industry regulator is reminding Queenslanders to always use licensed contractors for repairs.
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is warning residents not to risk their homes when it comes to repairing any damage as a result of storms or natural disasters.
QBCC Commissioner Richard Cassidy said sometimes unlicensed contractors took advantage of people who needed homes repaired but did not want to wait for insurance claims.
“It’s really not worth it. The last thing you need is unfinished work that isn’t done by a licensed contractor and not to standard,” he said.
“Our QBCC-licensed contractors have the required qualifications and knowledge of the work they are licensed to carry out and this makes them the only choice to help you rebuild after a severe weather event or disaster.
“Anyone who’s operating without a licence is not only breaking the law but putting the safety of Queenslanders at risk.
“This is why the QBCC’s licensing system is so important as it ensures licensed trades have the right qualifications to carry out the work they are contracted to do.”
Mr Cassidy said following recent flooding in South-East Queensland the QBCC was assisting the recovery effort in Inglewood, Darling Downs.
“We have a presence at the Inglewood Recovery Hub to share essential QBCC information such as licensing registers and provide advice on mould awareness, asbestos management and plumbing impacts after flooding, among other things,” he said.
Mr Cassidy reminded home owners to ensure any work was accompanied by a written contract, that they are not pressured into signing anything without fully understanding it and know who they are contracting with.
You can access a free licence check on the QBCC website to confirm if a person is appropriately licensed
There is also a free find a local contractor search to help consumers locate a local, licensed and skilled tradesperson.
Further information and factsheets on rebuilding after a natural disaster are available on the QBCC website.