Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards

Want to know more about the Premises Standards?

The Australian Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with the Australian Building Codes Board, is running Premises Standards seminars in August–September 2010. The half-day seminars will provide designers, builders, building owners, managers, access consultants, advocates and professionals in the building approvals area with an overview of the Premises Standards and their effect when they come into force. Further information is available from the Australian Human Rights Commission website.

The Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards will achieve more consistent, systemic and widespread improvements in non-discriminatory access for people with disability to publicly accessible buildings.

The Premises Standards will further the Commonwealth Government’s social inclusion agenda by progressively ensuring that people with disability and the ageing population have better access to a wide range of public buildings. Improved building access will afford older people and people with mobility, vision and hearing impairments greater opportunities to access employment and services and to connect with family, friends and the community.

The Premises Standards will also make a significant contribution to the Australian Government’s ten-year National Disability Strategy, which is being developed with States and Territories through the Council of Australian Governments. The vision for the National Disability Strategy is of an inclusive Australian society that enables people with disability to fulfil their potential as equal citizens.

The Premises Standards are the product of extensive consultation with stakeholders, culminating in the release of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs report, ‘Access All Areas’, in June 2009.

The Government tabled their response to the report on 15 March 2010 which accepted, accepted in part, or accepted in principle eighteen recommendations made by the committee.

The Premises Standards will commence operation on 1 May 2011, in line with the adoption of the Building Code of Australia in each State and Territory. This will allow States and Territories time to adopt the Premises Standards within their building law frameworks.

If you have difficulty downloading or accessing any downloads on this page please contact the Human Rights Branch on +61 2 6141 3415.