COAG Decision Regulation Impact Statement – The Australian Building Codes Board
On 1 March 2017, the Australian Building Codes Board released the final Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) which considers options to mandate automatic fire suppressions systems for covered balconies over 25 meters in effective height.
The issue in question is the risk to the safety of building occupants from a fire igniting on a balcony of a residential building, where the interior is protected by fire sprinkler systems but the balcony is not. The RIS examines relevant fire incidents and analyses options to address the issue. It concludes that maintaining the status quo delivers the highest net benefit to community. That is, sprinkler protection requirement for the interior of residential buildings over 25 meters will be continued, while it is not compulsory to install fire sprinkler systems for balconies that do not exceed 6m² or have a depth in excess of 2 metres.
The Australian Building Codes Board prepared the final decision RIS and it was assessed as compliant by the Office of Best Practice Regulation.