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.
Queensland Emergency Operations Centre
Napier & Blakeley are just completing their role as Quantity Surveyors on the new QEOC building at Kedron Park in Brisbane.
This world-class communications centre, the largest emergency operations centre in the southern hemisphere, enables best practice strategic response and planning for daily emergencies and incidents and coordinated disaster management for the Queensland Government.
The building was centre of attention in the recent South East Queensland floods and Cyclone Yasi as it became the broadcast facility for regular bulletins by State Premier Anna Bligh and Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Continue reading
