New Disability Access Standards – Effective 1 May 2011
The purpose of the Premises Standards (and corresponding changes to the Building Code of Australia and State / Territory Building Law) is:
- To ensure that dignified, equitable, cost-effective and reasonably achievable access to buildings, and facilities and services within buildings, is provided for people with disability, and
- To give certainty to building certifiers, developers and managers that if standards are complied with they cannot be subject to a successful complaint under the DDA in relation to those matters covered by the Premises Standards.
1. General Application
The Premises Standards will apply to all new buildings and to extensions or additions to existing buildings.
In most circumstances it will also be necessary to provide an accessible path of travel from the principal public entrance to the new or modified part of an existing building.
R & M Diminished
Is your ‘too good to be true’ property deal rally sustainable?
According to Napier & Blakeley managing director Alastair Walker, lack of capital post GFC has lead to a significant neglect of repair and maintenance (R&M) and Capex spend. Having worked on property due diligence valued at plus $10B since the GFC, Napier & Blakeley has seen only nominal spend on upkeep compared with previous years.
Reduced Life Expectancy and Premature Capex
Recent technical due diligence and condition assessments have also found that the lack of R&M and Capex budgets for economic life driven plant and equipment overhauls and refurbishments has resulted in increased short and medium term Capex.
To put this in context, without appropriate R&M, major plant items may have an economic expected life of (say) 25 years, however the reduction of removal of maintenance can result in a major shortfall in expected life to around 15 years.
The Reaction
Astute purchasers have become aware of this risk and look for these patterns in their technical due diligence reporting to ensure that appropriate Capex costs are factored into the purchase price to account for a vendor’s R&M expenditure shortfalls.
Condition assessments, maintenance reviews, energy assessments and risk weighted strategic Capex forecasts have become 2010’s essential tools for good asset and facility management and sustainable property solutions. Continue reading
