Application
This unit of competency specifies the outcomes required by senior building surveyors to review building design documentation during the design process for all Building Code of Australia (BCA) defined classes and types of buildings, including all Type A buildings in classes 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The unit includes the preparation of planning and building approval applications, and providing advice on compliance with the requirements of building and planning legislation, regulations, codes and standards that apply to the nature and location of each project.
The unit supports the work of private building surveyors providing advisory code-consulting services to building and construction professionals involved in developing building design documentation up to the building approval application stage. The building surveyor may provide advice concurrently on a range of building design projects in different locations.
Building surveyors must operate within the regulatory constraints that govern the relationship between their advisory and statutory roles and ensure that no conflict of interest arises.
Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit in some States. Relevant state and territory regulatory authorities should be consulted to confirm those requirements.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the range of conditions. | ||
1. | Determine and manage scope of projects. | 1.1. | Scope and nature of advice required by clients are determined and details of services to be offered at different stages of projects are specified, including timelines and fees. |
1.2. | Internal and external personnel with specialist areas of expertise who are required to provide advice at different stages of projects are identified, engaged and briefed. | ||
1.3. | Project management processes are implemented and monitored to ensure accurate and timely advice is provided within the scope of specified service levels. | ||
1.4. | File management processes are developed, implemented and monitored. | ||
2. | Confirm compliance requirements for different projects and inform clients. | 2.1. | State or territory building control legislation and regulations |
2.2. | Requirements of the National Construction Code (NCC) and Australian standards referenced by the NCC for the class and type of building, and location of each project, are confirmed. | ||
2.3. | State or territory and local authority planning constraints are researched and confirmed. | ||
2.4. | Professional network is consulted, where required, on technically accurate interpretation and application of compliance requirements, particularly in relation to unique and complex designs. | ||
2.5. | Compliance requirements for specific project locations are communicated and explained to clients, and questions are invited and addressed. | ||
3. | Advise on architectural drawings and documentation prepared for planning approval. | 3.1. | Clients are advised of drawings and documentation required for the planning approval process for each project. |
3.2. | Architectural drawings and documentation prepared for planning approval applications are checked for completeness and examined at the agreed service level, and compliance issues are identified and recorded. | ||
3.3. | Advice on specialist areas of expertise is sought, where required, and compliance issues are identified and recorded. | ||
3.4. | Cost-effective and efficient design alternatives that meet compliance requirements are identified as required and explained to clients. | ||
3.5. | Solutions to compliance issues are developed in consultation with colleagues and specialist experts as required, and are documented. | ||
3.6. | Compliance advisory report relating to planning approval application is prepared, presented and explained to clients, and questions are invited and addressed. | ||
4. | Advise on architectural drawings and documentation prepared for building approval. | 4.1. | Clients are advised of drawings and documentation required for the building approval process for each project. |
4.2. | Architectural drawings and documentation prepared for planning approval applications are checked for completeness and examined at the agreed service level, and compliance issues are identified and recorded. | ||
4.3. | Advice on specialist areas of expertise is sought, where required, and compliance issues are identified and recorded. | ||
4.4. | Cost-effective and efficient design alternatives that meet compliance requirements are identified as required and explained to clients. | ||
4.5. | Solutions to compliance issues are developed in consultation with colleagues and specialist experts as required, and are documented. | ||
4.6. | Compliance advisory report relating to building approval application is prepared, presented and explained to clients, and questions are invited and addressed. | ||
5. | Respond to client enquiries regarding compliance issues. | 5.1. | Client requests for information regarding compliance issues are assessed as either within or outside scope of service, and when outside scope additional fees are negotiated and agreed as required. |
5.2. | Details of requests for information are determined and response is researched, in consultation with specialist experts as required. | ||
5.3. | Advice on compliance issues is presented to clients in required format, and questions are invited and addressed. | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes the language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills essential to performance in this unit but not explicit in the performance criteria. | |
Skill | Performance feature |
Learning skills to: | employ systematic approaches to planning and managing sustained activities, recognising the need for flexibility to cover contingencies use structured approaches to maintain currency of skills and knowledge as a regular part of routine through, for example, email alerts, conferences, or subscriptions to relevant journals. |
Numeracy skills to: | critically review mathematics used in building design documentation to identify the real-world implications extract and analyse a range of mathematical information embedded in complex texts related to the construction industry and gather additional mathematical information from other sources. |
Oral communication skills to: | determine client requirements regarding nature and scope of advice sought, through open-ended questioning, active listening, paraphrasing and summarising understand and use specialised construction industry vocabulary in a variety of situations, for example explanations, descriptions and discussions with specialist personnel. |
Reading skills to: | use specialised background knowledge to support interpretation of highly complex texts specific to the construction industry use structures, layout, features and conventions of complex legal and regulatory texts to locate specific information. |
Writing skills to: | use accurately-spelled specialised construction industry vocabulary in emails, letters and reports to clients and specialist personnel. |
Range Statement
This section specifies work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. | |
Specialist areas of expertise must include: | access energy efficiency fire protection services. |
Type of building must include: | Type A buildings as defined in the BCA, including buildings that are: 3 storeys or more in classes 2, 3 and 9 4 storeys or more in classes 5, 6, 7 and 8 Type B buildings as defined in the BCA Type C buildings as defined in the BCA. |
Solutions to complianceissues must include: | alternative solutions that meet the performance requirements of the NCC deemed-to-satisfy NCC solutions solutions that meet the requirements of: insurers state or territory and local government legislation and regulations statutory authorities governing: environment fire protection services. |
Sectors
Construction
Competency Field
Building surveying