Certificate of Classifiction
Legislation
The following legislation is applicable:
Building Act 1975
– Amended section 103 provides the requirements for certificates of classification. – New section 108A requires the display of the certificate of classification, other than class 1a and class 10 buildings, where the certificate was given after 1 July 1997. – New section 114A requires the owner of a building to comply with a restriction or requirement mentioned on the certificate of classification.
Location of certificates of classification
Certificates of classification (CofC) are required to be conspicuously displayed as near as practicable to the main entrance of all class 1b to 9 buildings. Building owners are responsible for ensuring that this requirement is met at all times. These requirements do not apply to class 1a buildings (e.g. detached houses, row houses, terrace houses, town houses or villa units) or to class 10 buildings (e.g. private garages or carports).
Certificates of classification should be:
– securely placed in locations where they can be easily read by authorised officers and other occupants of the building
– made of suitably durable materials (weatherproof materials if they are located on the outside of a building)
– if displayed electronically, be connected to a power source that will not be interrupted if there is a power failure or malfunction or failure of the power source.
This may require a back-up power source. If displayed electronically, all certificates must be constantly and concurrently displayed
at all times (24 hours a day, every day of the year). It is not acceptable for users to be required to scroll through certificates or to search for a certificate.
The following examples show some options and suitable locations for the certificate of classification for different types of building configurations.
Please note, that for a multi-tenancy building, the term ‘building’ under the BA can mean the part of the building to which the CofC relates.
Example 1: Factory building with individual units (different occupiers and perhaps different owners), each having its own entrance door.
Explanation:
The building in example 1 is made up of several units each with their own entrance on the outside of the building. In most cases these
types of buildings will have one CofC for the entire building.
Option 1:
An owner may choose to display a copy of the CofC in each individual unit as near as practicable to the entrance of the unit.
Option 2:
A building owner may also choose to display the CofC in one location on the outside of the building. It is recommended that the CofC be displayed as close as practicable to the entrance of the property and if possible, next to the building’s Fire Indicator Panel. If a CofC is
located outside the building, the owner must ensure that it is protected from the effects of weather and that it is securely attached to the wall of the building.
Example 2: Shopping centre with multiple entrances and individual tenancies.
Explanation:
The building in example 2 is a typical shopping centre with multiple entrances and several tenancies inside. These types of buildings usually have one CofC for the overall building, however the tenancies are often the subject of individual building development approvals and may also be issued with a separate CofC. Therefore, it is not uncommon to have several CofCs for the building even though building certifiers have the option to issue a new amended whole-of-building CofC when they approve a tenancy fit-out. In these cases there are different options for displaying the certificates a
Example 3: Multi-block unit complex with main reception where individual blocks may or may not be joined.
Explanation:
In some cases there may be several buildings on one block of land recorded on a
certificate of classification. Even though the certificate covers all of the buildings,
a copy must be located near the entrance of each building. This will ensure any
specific information relating to each building is available to any authorised
officers or occupiers.
Example 4: 2)—both single and multiple storeys with one main entrance
Explanation:
Where a building shares a common stairway or foyer, it is suitable to place the certificate of classification in that area on the ground floor. This will ensure information is readily available to occupants, enforcement agencies or emergency services personnel. For buildings that do not have any common internal space, it is recommended that the CofC be located either on the wall of an undercover car park or on an external wall. As per previous examples, if the CofC is located outside, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the document is protected from the effects of the weather and is securely fixed.
