Australian Standards: How can you comply with something you can't afford to access?

For years, Subcontractors have been complaining that they are being asked to read and comply with multiple Australian Standards to provide compliant installations - but that the cost to buy copies of all the relevant standards (or subscribe to a service) is prohibitive for all but the largest companies in Australia. In fact, former NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler made a point of asking builders whether they could name any of the Australian Standards on his site visits - with embarrassing results.

But how can you comply with something that you can't afford to access? The Building Code is FREE to access via the ABCB Website but each Australian Standard costs hundreds of dollars (and every trade needs multiple standards and multiple copies).

This week, a number of industry bodies and Australia’s construction leaders and Standards Australia came together at Parliament House in Canberra to address access to Australian Standards. Together, they acknowledged access to standards is a critical issue impacting safety, productivity, workforce capability, and the delivery of housing and infrastructure that underpin the National Construction Code (NCC).

Whilst they didn't make Standards free to access, they did agree to present a unified proposal to government that removes unnecessary barriers to Australian Standards.

Read more here:

https://www.standards.org.au/news/industry-leaders-and-standards-australia-unite-to-unlock-productivity-benefits-for-the-construction-sector