Part A5 Documentation of design and construction

Explanatory information

A5G1 relates to the quality of work and materials needed to construct a building to meet NCC requirements.

This means that—

• all people involved with construction must work skillfully in accordance with good trade practice; and
• all materials must be of a quality to fulfil their function/s within the building.

A5G1 only applies to matters normally covered by the NCC.

While A5G1 outlines quality of work and material demands, sometimes additional conditions may be required by—

• other Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation; and
• contracts that include either specific quality requirements, or requirements for specific materials and the like.

Explanatory information: Example

Permit authorities would ordinarily not apply A5G1 to such matters as—

• plastering — other than for fire rating, waterproofing of wet areas, and sound insulation; or
• painting — other than that required for weatherproofing an external wall.

When determining which form of evidence will be used, it is important to consider the appropriateness of the evidence, as some forms of evidence may be more suitable to materials and products and others to designs and forms of construction. The requirement to consider appropriateness of the evidence is specified in A5G2(1).

Explanatory information

For further guidance, refer to the ABCB Handbook for Evidence of Suitability.

All copies of documents provided as evidence must be unabridged copies of the originals. No part can be left incomplete.

Explanatory information

A5G3 represents the minimum level of documentary evidence needed to show that a material, product, form of construction or design meets the relevant NCC requirements. The evidence can be required by:

• an appropriate authority;
• a party to a construction contract; or
• a person certifying compliance with the NCC.

If a building proponent does not produce exactly what is required, the evidence may be rejected.

It should be noted that ‘design’ may refer to engineering design, architectural design as well as product and material design.

A5G3(1)(f) allows for the use of alternative forms of documentary evidence to those included in A5G3(1)(a) to (e), as long as they comply with certain specified conditions.

An example of this arises when an authority carries out an inspection of a building site. The inspection alone would not be acceptable as evidence. However, if the authority compiled a written report detailing findings and conclusions from the inspection, then it may comply with the requirements of A5G3(1)(f).

A Product Technical Statement detailing the characteristics and merits of a particular product or system is also an example of another form of documentary evidence.

There is significant reliance by industry on the use of calculation methods, including software programs, for demonstrating compliance with the NCC. While there is no formal recognition of specific methods, A5G3(2) allows suitable evidence to be submitted to demonstrate that a calculation method (including a software program) complies with a relevant ABCB protocol that establishes the characteristics of a suitable calculation method.

If under a Deemed-to-Satisfy Provision a building element is required to have an FRL, then A5G3 may be used to provide evidence to show that the FRL has been determined in accordance with Specification 1 and 2.

In the case of a test report from an Accredited Testing Laboratory, the report may be either—

• the test report referred to in clause 2.16.2 of AS 1530.4 (also referred to as a full test report); or
• the regulatory information report referred to in clause 2.16.3 of AS 1530.4 (also referred to as a short-form report).

In both cases the report must be an unabridged copy of the original report. A test certificate referred to in clause 2.16.4 of AS 1530.4 on its own is not suitable for showing compliance with the NCC.

If a proposal uses a Deemed-to-Satisfy Provision that requires a building element to have fire hazard properties, then A5G3 may be used to provide evidence to support the proposal and show that the fire hazard properties have been determined in accordance with A5G6.

Refer to the guidance provided in the Guide to Volume One for further information on fire hazard properties which includes—

• Flammability Index; and
• Spread-of-Flame Index; and
• Smoke-Developed Index; and
• a material’s group number; and
• smoke growth rate index.

The Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of the BCA contain a number of provisions requiring a ceiling to have a resistance to the incipient spread of fire to the space above itself. A5G7 sets out the method of determining the incipient spread of fire. The method is based on the method of determining the FRL of a building element and use of the Standard Fire Test.

Explanatory information

Some examples of products subject to A5G4(2) include the following:

• Copper alloy fittings.
• Stainless-steel braided hoses.
• Valves (such as valves for isolation, backflow prevention, alteration of pressure and temperature).
• Taps and mixers.
• Water meters.
• Pumps (for use with cold and heated water services).
• Water heaters.
• Residential water filtration equipment.
• Water dispensers (such as boiling and cooling units, drinking fountains and bottle fillers).
• Fire sprinkler systems connected to the cold water service that are not isolated from fixtures and fittings intended to supply water for human consumption.

Some examples of products excluded from the requirements of A5G4(2) include the following:

• Shower heads for bathing.
• Emergency showers, eye wash and/or face wash equipment.
• Pumps used for irrigation, fire-fighting or other non-drinking water purposes.
• Fire-fighting water services and equipment including residential fire sprinklers.
• Appliances, including washing machines and dishwashers.
• Commercial boilers associated with heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
• Sanitary fixtures (such as toilets, cistern inlet valves, bidets and urinals.
• Non-drinking water systems (such as recycled water systems).

Product certification transition arrangements are outlined in Notices of Direction issued through the WaterMark Certification Scheme.

Lead is currently permitted in small proportions in the raw materials used to manufacture some plumbing products. Whilst the allowable lead levels permitted in products manufactured prior to 1 September 2025 ensures compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the use of products compliant with the lead levels in A5G4(2) is encouraged, to avoid the potential for adverse effects on human health.

A5G4(1) requires any product intended for use in contact with drinking water to comply with AS/NZS 4020. Compliance is achieved by passing the relevant tests set out in the Standard.

Evidence of compliance must then be provided in accordance with A5G4(1), under which there are two options. The first, at A5G4(1)(a), recognises test reports and certificates that cover compliance with AS/NZS 4020 only. The second, at A5G4(1)(b), recognises WaterMark Licences where compliance with AS/NZS 4020 is a requirement of the relevant product Standard or WaterMark Technical Specification.

For products that are of a type listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products, A5G4(2) requires that these products have a WaterMark Licence. A WaterMark Licence reflects that the product has been certified and authorised in accordance with the WaterMark Scheme Rules.

For products that are not subject to WaterMark certification (i.e. excluded products), evidence that can be used to support that the product is fit for its intended purpose is provided in A5G4(3). This may include demonstrating compliance with a product specification referenced in the WaterMark Schedule of Excluded Products, where one is available.

A5G4(4) provides that any product that is not listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products or the WaterMark Schedule of Excluded Products must be subjected to a risk assessment in accordance with the WaterMark Scheme Rules. The risk assessment will determine whether the product in question requires certification and authorisation, or if it should be listed as an “excluded product”. This in turn will determine the form of evidence of suitability applicable to the product.

Explanatory information: What is WaterMark?

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory certification scheme for plumbing and drainage products to ensure that these products are fit for purpose and appropriately authorised for use in a plumbing or drainage system.

The PCA, through Part A5, requires certain plumbing and drainage products to be certified and authorised for use in a plumbing or drainage system. These products are certified through the WaterMark Certification Scheme and listed on the WaterMark Product Database.

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is governed by the WaterMark Scheme Rules, which are available for download from the ABCB website at: www.abcb.gov.au. These rules set out the requirements for risk assessments, evaluation, certification, and the drafting of WaterMark Technical Specifications.

When a product is listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products then, for it to be certified and authorised, the product must—

• be tested by an Accredited Testing Laboratory; and
• comply with an approved product specification (either a relevant existing product Standard or a WaterMark Technical Specification); and
• be manufactured in accordance with an approved Quality Assurance Program; and
• carry a scope of use.

Products that comply fully with the applicable requirements of the WaterMark Certification Scheme are then eligible to be certified by a WaterMark Conformity Assessment Body and listed on the WaterMark Product Database. Certified products are identifiable by the WaterMark certification trade mark, shown in Figure A5G4 below, that must be displayed on the product upon granting of a WaterMark Licence.