AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

AMENDMENTS OF THE BUILDING REGULATIONS

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

No. 22 of 1981

	The Amendments of the Building Regulations change the basis on which scheduled fees are determined by extending the definition of “cost” in relation to building work to include any engineering services proposed to be constructed in respect of a parcel of land.  Further, the present definition of “residential building work” expressly excludes work carried out on a building consisting of units within the meaning of the Unit Titles Ordinance 1970.  The Regulations omit this exclusion to permit the application of the residential fee scale in respect of such a unit provided the unit is intended for residential use.  The Regulations also extend the categories of persons who may search or photocopy records kept by the Building Controller to include the proprietor of a unit within the meaning of the Unit Titles Ordinance.

	The Regulations alter the fees presently charged in the manner set out below:–

1.	Applications submitted for the approval of plans and for the grant of building permits in respect of residential building work are subject to a separate fee of:

OLD

Cost of Work		Fee	
			
Up to and including $30,000		0.2% of cost	
			
Over $30,000 and not more than $60,000		$60 for $30,000 plus 0.4% on the balance	
			
Over $60,000 and not more than $120,000		$180 for $60,000 plus 0.6% on the balance	
			
Over $120,000		$540 for $120,000 plus 0.8% on the balance	

NEW

Cost of Work		Fee	
			
Any amount		0.25% of the Building cost	

2.	Applications submitted for the approval of plans and for the grant of building permits in respect of commercial work are subject to a separate fee of:

OLD

Cost of Work		Fee	
			
Up to and including $60,000		0.5% of cost	
			
Over $60,000 and not more than $125,000		$300 for $60,000 plus 0.2% on the balance	
			
Over $125,000 and not more than $250,000		$430 for $125,000 plus 0.1% on the balance	
			
Over $250,000 and not more than $500,000		$555 for $250,000 plus 0.05% on the balance	
			
Over $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000		$680 for $500,000 plus 0.04% on the balance	
			
Over $1,000,000 and not more than $2,000,000		$880 for $1,000,000 plus 0.03% on the balance	
			
Over $2,000,000 and not more than $4,000,000		$1,180 for $2,000,000 plus 0.02% on the balance	
			
Over $4,000,000		$1,580 for $4,000,000 plus 0.01% on the balance	

NEW

Cost of Work		Fee	
			
$6,000 or less		0.75% of cost	
			
More than $6,000 but not more than $60,000		$45 for $6,000 plus 0.5% on balance	
			
More than $60,000 but not more than $250,000		$315 for $60,000 plus 0.2% on balance	
			
More than $250,000 but not more than $1,000,000		$695 for $250,000 plus 0.05% on balance	
			
More than $1,000,000		$1,070 for $1m plus 0.02% on balance	

3.	Fees payable for photocopies made of documents in the Building Controller’s records.

OLD

Article	$	
		
For plans and drawings – per 0.1m2 or 
part of 0.1m2	2.00	
		
For other documents – per sheet	0.50	
		
For a certified copy of a document per sheet	5.00	

NEW

Article	$	
		
For plans not exceeding 450mm in width –
per sheet	2.75	
		
For plans exceeding 450mm in with – per sheet	3.75	
		
For other documents – per sheet	0.50	
		
For a certified copy of a document  – per sheet	5.00	

4.	The Regulations also provide for a new fee of $2.00 for each file retrieved from the Building Controller’s records for the purpose of making photocopies provided no search fee has already been required.