tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/building-code-40131/articlesBuilding code – The Conversation2022-09-15T08:08:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1904702022-09-15T08:08:54Z2022-09-15T08:08:54ZFive steps Nigeria must take to stop buildings collapsing in Lagos<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484555/original/file-20220914-12-vk96ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the Nigerian Institute of Building during a walk against building collapse in Lagos in March 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-nigerian-institute-of-building-in-conjunction-with-news-photo/1239147206?adppopup=true">Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Buildings in Lagos state, Nigeria’s economic hub, have in recent years been collapsing in greater numbers than ever. Between 2000 and 2021 the city <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tqem.21781">experienced 167 reported cases</a>, with significant <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2022/04/06/quantifying-frequent-building-collapse-and-disaster-risk-reduction-in-nigeria/">human and economic losses</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/09/lagos-records-30-collapse-buildings-in-7-months-lasema/">latest data</a> from <a href="https://lasema.lagosstate.gov.ng/">Lagos State Emergency Management Agency</a> showed that between January and July 2022, Lagos recorded 24 cases of total building collapse, six of partial collapse and one of impending collapse. <a href="https://punchng.com/building-collapse-84-lagosians-killed-in-two-years/">Eighty-four Lagosians have been killed</a> in building collapse incidents in the last two years. </p>
<p>Ghana’s capital, Accra, in contrast, had only <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Some-of-the-Reported-Cases-of-Collapsed-Buildings-in-Ghana-Post-2000_tbl2_325269397">eight building collapses</a> between April 2000 and February 2016.</p>
<p>This grim Nigerian data reflects the failure of the Lagos state government to protect its citizens.</p>
<p>Drawing from my <a href="https://theconversation.com/building-collapses-are-all-too-common-in-lagos-heres-why-165674">previous research</a>, I have identified that high-rise residential buildings make up most of the collapses in Lagos. The reasons include the use of substandard materials and unqualified or unskilled builders. </p>
<p>Other factors include non-adherence to the <a href="https://estateintel.com/reports/national-building-code-of-the-federal-republic-of-nigeria">National Building Code</a>, illegal conversion of existing structures and ineffective monitoring by regulatory agencies. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://punchng.com/why-buildings-continue-to-collapse-in-lagos-ex-physical-planning-commissioner/">recent spate of building collapse in Lagos</a> presents an opportunity for the government to get tough on the construction industry and prevent future incidents. Citizens also have a part to play.</p>
<p>In this article I set out five critical issues I consider indispensable for building safety, stability and sustainability. They are all germane, given the disastrous <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tqem.21781">state of building development</a> in Lagos in the past four years. </p>
<h2>1. Test the integrity of all high-rise buildings</h2>
<p>The starting point is to recognise that <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/africa-in-focus/2022/04/06/quantifying-frequent-building-collapse-and-disaster-risk-reduction-in-nigeria/">high-rise structures are at the highest risk of collapse</a>. This is due to structural inadequacies and professional ineptitude on the part of the developers. </p>
<p><a href="https://fig.net/resources/proceedings/fig_proceedings/fig2018/papers/ts02j/TS02J_oyedele_9284.pdf">Previous studies</a> suggested that government didn’t implement the recommendations from past integrity tests of buildings in Lagos. This was likely due to a lack of political will to ensure fundamental standards were maintained. It suggests the government might only be paying lip service to building safety.</p>
<p>Urgent and frequent integrity tests of all high-rise buildings in Lagos are needed. Those built more than five years ago are in particular need of testing. A structural integrity test confirms the stability of buildings and determines whether they are fit for people to live in. </p>
<p>Government must also ensure that buildings that are not structurally habitable are either strengthened or demolished immediately. </p>
<h2>2. Identify and prosecute offenders</h2>
<p>Government must identify and prosecute landowners, investors, consultants, architects, quantity surveyors and engineers involved in previous cases. It must also publish all permits received during those projects and all documents related to safety testing. </p>
<p>This will show its commitment to putting an end to the loss of lives and property. It will also enable a thorough investigation into the causes of building collapses and ensure there are consequences for failures. </p>
<p>It will encourage more responsible practices in the construction industry.</p>
<h2>3. Overhaul and restructure agencies and ministries</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://punchng.com/lagos-commissioner-resigns-over-building-collapse/">recent resignation</a> of the Lagos State Physical Planning and Urban Development commissioner was a step in the right direction. Nevertheless, the agencies and ministries responsible for monitoring the construction process appear overwhelmed and handicapped in enforcing building regulations. This is due to ineffective monitoring, lack of human resources and corruption among officials in charge of building approval. </p>
<p>There is also a serious governance issue that must be addressed. Building control should be a local government responsibility. In Nigeria, however, it falls under the state government. Nigeria currently runs a three-tier federal system comprising federal, state and local governments. </p>
<p>As a result of the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24734693">constitutional reforms</a> made between the 1970s and 1990s some of these tiers of responsibility were arbitrarily altered. The building control function was transferred from local to state governments.</p>
<p>Thus, a total overhaul and restructuring of all the agencies and ministries responsible for monitoring the construction process is urgently required. This could be done by prosecuting complicit government officials involved in the approval of previous collapsed buildings. </p>
<p>Improved tactics and logistics in monitoring construction could also be deployed.</p>
<p>Building control must be returned to the local governments and they must ensure that they have enough qualified, quality personnel.</p>
<h2>4. Integrate governance of the construction industry</h2>
<p>Governments, professional bodies and citizens all have essential roles to play in preventing building collapse in Lagos. The starting point is the sensitisation of citizens and building developers by the emergency management agencies and professional bodies. They should focus on the need to obtain planning permission, engage professionals in the construction of their buildings and report cases of illegal construction activities in their community. </p>
<p>Government must also collaborate with professional bodies and make sure that individuals or building developers consult certified professionals like engineers.</p>
<h2>5. Enforce laws and policies</h2>
<p>A review of enforcement and <a href="https://epp.lagosstate.gov.ng/regulations/LSURPD_LAW_2010.pdf">building control regulations in Lagos state</a> shows the problem is not inadequacy of relevant laws and monitoring agencies. Rather it’s a lack of proper enforcement of building regulations. </p>
<p>The state government must quickly take decisive steps to implement existing building control regulations and measures for transparency and accountability in its processes. Simple but important things like information display boards at construction sites should be enforced. There is also an urgent need for public awareness of the regulatory requirements for buildings. The public should demand transparency from developers and landlords.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190470/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital city, is notorious for frequent building collapses. A risk reduction expert offers five recommendations on how to prevent these disasters.Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola, Visiting Scientist at Global Change Institute and Institute for Environment and Human Security, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1838992022-06-16T12:42:26Z2022-06-16T12:42:26ZThe cheaper we build our buildings, the more they cost after an earthquake, wildfire or tornado<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/466669/original/file-20220601-49022-37lmoh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C44%2C4236%2C2785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Several people were injured and homes destroyed after tornadoes touched down in Barrie, Ont., in July 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Duckdave/Wikimedia)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A tornado cut a 270-kilometre path through Kentucky in mid-December 2021, killing 80 people, many in their homes or workplaces, and rendering thousands homeless. The incident prompted David Prevatt, a professor of structural engineering at the University of Florida, to write an opinion piece for the <em>Washington Post</em>, reminding Americans that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/12/27/we-can-build-homes-survive-tornadoes-like-kentucky-suffered-we-just-havent/">new buildings could be tornado proof, but are not</a>.</p>
<p>We are learning similar truths in Canada. Barrie, Ont., struck by a set of tornadoes on July 15, 2021, is still recovering. So too, are those who survived the fires in Fort McMurray, Alta., in 2016, and in Lytton, B.C., in June 2021. It’s the same story following the floods in British Columbia in November 2021 and the <a href="https://london.ctvnews.ca/northern-tornadoes-project-investigating-east-london-for-possible-tornado-1.5915126">derecho that struck Southwestern Ontario in late May</a>, lifting roofs off some buildings and destroying others. </p>
<p>Engineers, architects and builders can design and construct affordable new buildings that can resist tornadoes, floods and wildfires without making the buildings into bunkers. We could also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/8755293020944186">design earthquake-resilient buildings</a>, but do not. </p>
<p>I am a structural engineer and an expert in performance-based engineering and catastrophe risk management. I believe the only way to make that happen is to require our building code to minimize society’s total cost to own new buildings. We have always been free to make that happen, but have a rare window now to shape that future, as the nation and code developers urgently respond to the climate crisis. </p>
<h2>Why don’t we build resilient buildings?</h2>
<p>Building-code writers, engineers and others frequently tout the benefits of modern building codes. But new buildings only keep us relatively safe; they’re not disaster proof. Why don’t we build better buildings? Because it would cost a little more. </p>
<p>We build to minimize initial construction costs while maintaining a reasonable degree of safety and avoiding damage where practical, a strategy known as “least-first-cost” construction. We save a small amount on initial construction costs and call the savings “affordability.” </p>
<p>But that kind of affordability is an illusion, like a tantalizingly low sticker price on a flimsy car. Wise car buyers know that the low cost is just the beginning of a series of bills.</p>
<p>In new construction, <a href="https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/reports/r494vm29h">every dollar saved weaves in $4 or more of future costs to pay for unpredictable catastrophes: severe storms, massive earthquakes and catastrophic wildfires</a>. That future cost is not an if, but a when — or rather a sequence of whens made more frequent and severe by the climate crisis.</p>
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<img alt="A man in a hat faces a building with a partially collapsed brick wall." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468860/original/file-20220614-17290-2dsj01.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A man looks at a partially collapsed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, on Sept. 4, 2021, in Houma, La.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/John Locher)</span></span>
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<p>In research for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and others, my colleagues and I applied simple methods to design buildings to be stronger, stiffer, or above the flood plain than the U.S. building code currently requires. (Canada’s National Building Code is similar.) We found that society would initially pay about one per cent more for new construction, but avoid future losses many times greater, minimising society’s long-term ownership cost.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/contrary-to-popular-belief-eastern-canada-is-more-at-risk-of-earthquakes-than-perceived-167743">Contrary to popular belief, Eastern Canada is more at risk of earthquakes than perceived</a>
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<p>Engineers could have used these ideas long ago. If we had, Canada wouldn’t be losing over <a href="http://assets.ibc.ca/Documents/Facts%20Book/Facts_Book/2020/IBC-2020-Facts.pdf">$2 billion annually to natural catastrophes</a>, equivalent to the <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3410017501">cost of four days of new construction</a>. </p>
<p>Our losses grow nine per cent every year, like a credit card that gets charged more each month than is repaid. But unlike a credit card bill, nature demands an unpredictable, enormous payment any time it wants, from anywhere in the country. No Canadian community is immune.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Graphic showing the rate of increase of disaster losses compared to population growth." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468557/original/file-20220613-11-jdqh0d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Canada’s annual disaster losses have grown about nine per cent annually, 10 times faster than population growth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>We can fix the problem</h2>
<p>Prime Minister Trudeau has committed to bold, fast action on climate change and its associated disasters, and better building codes can be a part of it. We could install <a href="https://www.iclr.org/wp-content/uploads/PDFS/focus-on-backwater-valves.pdf">sewer backflow valves in homes and workplaces</a>, use <a href="https://doi.org/10.4224/40002647">non-combustible siding rather than vinyl in the wildland-urban interface</a> (where the built environment mingles with nature) and install <a href="https://doi.org/10.25810/rxtc-3p87">impact-resistant asphalt shingle roofs in hail country</a>. Engineers have long lists of ready-made solutions both for new buildings and the ones we already have.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tragic-wildfires-will-continue-until-we-rethink-our-communities-107346">Tragic wildfires will continue until we rethink our communities</a>
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<p>Building codes created those problems. They aim for safe and maximally affordable construction, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.4224/40002005">ignore long-term ownership cost</a>. We build cheaply but not efficiently.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An aerial photo of a cul-de-sac with debris at the end of each driveway, where houses once stood." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=832&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1045&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1045&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468861/original/file-20220614-18-5rs4su.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1045&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The remains of houses in Moore, Okla., following a tornado on May 20, 2013.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)</span></span>
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<p>Three fatal tornadoes in 15 years convinced city officials in Moore, Okla., that the national building codes weren’t protecting them. So, they enacted an <a href="https://www.cityofmoore.com/sites/default/files/uploads/city-council/agendas/mon-mar-17-630pm-agenda_9.pdf">ordinance to make new buildings resistant to all but the most severe tornadoes</a>. </p>
<p>Developers warned that the stricter requirements would drive up home prices and that development would dry up or move outside Moore. Neither thing happened. A few years after the ordinance passed, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.09.040">researchers found no impacts on home prices or development</a>. </p>
<p>Other jurisdictions could do better too, just like Florida did after <a href="https://www.weather.gov/lch/andrew">Hurricane Andrew in 1992</a>. The state leapt ahead of U.S. building codes with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3368/le.94.2.155">its own stricter, more cost-effective code</a>. The <a href="https://fortifiedhome.org/">Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety developed a voluntary standard</a>, called “Fortified,” that <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3330193">reduces future losses and more than pays for itself in higher resale value</a>. </p>
<h2>Disaster-resilient buildings that also cost less</h2>
<p>The climate crisis is forcing major energy-efficiency changes to the building code, offering a rare opportunity to fix our growing disaster liability and minimize long-term ownership cost. The update might include these three steps:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Enact a building code objective to minimize society’s total ownership cost of new buildings. The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes could formalize the principle in the National Building Code of Canada.</p></li>
<li><p>Require code-change requests (proposals people make to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes for inclusion in the National Building Code) to be accompanied by estimates of added construction costs and benefits in terms of reduced energy use, future repair costs, improved health and life safety outcomes, and other economic effects whose monetary value can be reasonably estimated.</p></li>
<li><p>Limit the freedom of code committees to reject cost-effective code-change requests. </p></li>
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<p>Such changes will eventually shrink Canada’s disaster credit card balance. While Canada rethinks energy efficiency, it can also tackle the false economy of least-first-cost construction. With slightly greater initial costs, our buildings will be better able to survive disasters and cost less to own in the long run. </p>
<p>With a wiser code, we can have better, safer, more efficient buildings for ourselves, our neighbours, our children and all future Canadians.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183899/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith Porter serves as chief engineer with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. </span></em></p>Engineers, architects and builders can design and construct affordable new buildings that can resist tornadoes, floods and wildfires, but do not. We have that opportunity now.Keith Porter, Adjunct research professor, civil and environmental engineering, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1713072021-11-11T00:02:01Z2021-11-11T00:02:01ZCOP26: cities create over 70% of energy-related emissions. Here’s what must change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431208/original/file-20211110-27-14tlnvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3170%2C1267&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cities are responsible for <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers.pdf">71-76% of energy-related CO₂ emissions</a>. Today, the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow will convene to discuss this urgent global problem.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers.pdf">Carbon emissions in cities</a> are generated through activities including the construction and operation of buildings, manufacture of building materials such as steel and concrete, and through the movement of people, goods and services.</p>
<p>The sector has been described as the “<a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2021/07/19/cop26-climate-conference-cities-built-environment-day/">sleeping giant</a>” of carbon emissions. This includes Australia, where a pre-COVID <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/22/australias-population-forecast-to-hit-30-million-by-2029">forecast</a> estimated the population will reach 30 million by 2029 – requiring many more buildings to be constructed this decade and beyond.</p>
<p>Over the next 30 years, lifecycle emissions associated with new homes in Australia <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778819337764">are expected to</a> exceed the federal government’s economy-wide net-zero emissions targets. Where we locate new buildings and how they’re built is crucial to reducing emissions and managing our exposure to the impacts of climate change. </p>
<p>Australia’s <a href="https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/coasts/topic/2016/population-growth-and-urban-development-population-growth">cities</a> are predominantly coastal, but development is underway in areas we know will face sea level rise. Homes and suburbs are <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-australian-dream-new-homes-in-planned-estates-may-not-be-built-to-withstand-heatwaves-166266">not being built</a> to withstand heatwaves and other climate change threats.</p>
<p>We must take significant and rapid action now to ensure cities play their part in limiting dangerous global warming, so they can cope with the climate challenges ahead.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-australian-dream-new-homes-in-planned-estates-may-not-be-built-to-withstand-heatwaves-166266">The Great Australian Dream? New homes in planned estates may not be built to withstand heatwaves</a>
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<h2>What’s happening at COP26?</h2>
<p>At COP26 today, national, regional, local governments and the private sector will come together to work towards a zero-emission built environment.</p>
<p>A coalition known as #BuildingToCOP26 aims to halve the built environment’s emissions by 2030. Ahead of COP26, it outlined three goals for the sector. They cover targets to decarbonise buildings, committing to the United Nations’ <a href="https://unfccc.int/climate-action/race-to-zero-campaign">Race to Zero</a> campaign and adopting shared goals for emissions reductions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C53%2C4000%2C2940&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man with a pram looks at a construction site." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C53%2C4000%2C2940&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431199/original/file-20211110-21-1qbwcxl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Without significant and rapid change to the buildings and construction sector, society will be further exposed to climate risks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research consistently shows the clear need to act. Yet <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105188">our study</a> this year found city planning in Victoria does not sufficiently address climate change.</p>
<p>While Australian states have set goals for emission reductions, these are not yet activated through land use planning and development regulations. We found climate change impacts like sea level rise and urban heat were not sufficiently addressed.</p>
<p>Blind spots like these mean the implications of climate change on our built environment – and on <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/243218/WarrenMyersHurlimann_2020_PropertyClimateChangeRisk_Minerva.pdf?sequence=2">property values</a> – are being <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096321000905#!">mispriced and underestimated</a>.</p>
<p>Without significant, rapid change, society will be further exposed to climate risks. </p>
<p>All of us will bear the cost – through higher council rates to pay for infrastructure damage, rising home and contents insurance costs, and in some cases, being refused any insurance at all. This could devalue your property and put your mortgage at risk. </p>
<p>New Zealand recently made it mandatory for <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-will-make-big-banks-insurers-and-firms-disclose-their-climate-risk-its-time-other-countries-did-too-146392">big banks, insurers and firms to disclose their climate risk</a>. This leaves Australia increasingly isolated as a climate laggard and exposed to stranded climate assets (when buildings and properties are worthless due to their climate exposure or lack of insurability). </p>
<p>During extreme weather events, fuelled by climate change, there will be impacts to essential services such as water supply, power, and telecommunications. </p>
<p>These will affect all areas of life – schooling, livelihoods, commercial activities, and retirement plans and funding of them – and the damage is likely to be disproportionately felt by society’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/floods-leave-a-legacy-of-mental-health-problems-and-disadvantaged-people-are-often-hardest-hit-157576">most vulnerable</a>. </p>
<p>Through our super funds, many Australians are investing in properties and businesses that may be exposed to a raft of climate risks, jeopardising our future financial security. </p>
<p>Measures to reduce emissions from the built environment should include a focus on <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter12.pdf">design of buildings and suburbs</a> and active transport options for walking and cycling. </p>
<p>More <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-how-white-roofs-help-to-reflect-the-suns-heat-128918">energy-efficient buildings</a> can reduce emissions and help us adapt to higher temperatures.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-great-australian-dream-new-homes-in-planned-estates-may-not-be-built-to-withstand-heatwaves-166266">The Great Australian Dream? New homes in planned estates may not be built to withstand heatwaves</a>
</strong>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="people photograph pool collapsed into ocean" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/430992/original/file-20211109-25-1npwijj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Australia’s cities are vulnerable to sea level rise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">David Moir/AAP</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Barriers to climate action in the sector</h2>
<p>Without urgent change, Australia’s 2050 goal of reaching net-zero emissions is at risk. Looking at the new homes required to house Australia’s population to 2050, for example, lifecycle emissions generated in construction and operation <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778819337764">obliterates</a> the net-zero target. And that doesn’t even account for emissions from the rest of the building sector. </p>
<p>We must rapidly change how we make and implement decisions around urban planning, property, construction and design. We developed a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103454">Built Environment Process Map</a> to help with this task. </p>
<p>It describes the fundamental activities involved in producing the built environment. This can help ensure climate change goals are effectively implemented over a city’s life stages and integrated across sectors and actors.</p>
<p>Our research on the Australian <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/11343/241800">property</a> and <a href="https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/bitstream/handle/11343/240465/Hurlimann%20et%20al.%20Building%20Environment%20100418%20Accepted.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">construction</a> sectors identified barriers to climate change action. They include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>a lack of clear, trustworthy information for key stakeholders about climate change</p></li>
<li><p>a perception among stakeholders that investing in climate change action when it’s not mandatory will threaten their economic competitiveness</p></li>
<li><p>a lack of a stable regulatory environment, which hampers investor certainty.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2021.100340">Frontrunners</a> in the Australian property and construction sector are not waiting.</p>
<p>Some property and construction firms and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212095520300171">local governments</a> are taking progressively more sophisticated approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation. </p>
<p>But a lack of government regulation is hampering broad-scale action on climate risks, adaptation and mitigation efforts.</p>
<h2>Governments must act now</h2>
<p>Existing emissions reduction efforts in the industry now need to be supported and mainstreamed through regulatory change. We also urgently need change in the electricity sector to set us on the path of net-zero emissions. </p>
<p>We can’t afford decisions today that lock in further greenhouse gas emissions. </p>
<p>What happens this week in the COP26 is crucial if we are to work towards a zero-emissions built environment, and achieve the critical goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C this century.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buildings-produce-25-of-australias-emissions-what-will-it-take-to-make-them-green-and-wholl-pay-105652">Buildings produce 25% of Australia's emissions. What will it take to make them 'green' – and who'll pay?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171307/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Hurlimann receives funding from the Australian Research Council (Discovery Grant DP200101378); from a University of Melbourne Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning Research Development Grant; and a Brookfield Multiplex Construction Innovation Grant.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Georgia Warren-Myers receives funding from Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the Australian Property Institute, the Investor Group on Climate Change, Australian Business Roundtable - Resilience Valuation Initiative, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, Green Building Council - Homes Advisory Panel, Residential Efficiency Scorecard Program Advisory Group. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Judy Bush receives funding from the Australian Research Council (Discovery Grant DP200101378), and the University of Melbourne: Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning Research Development Grant. </span></em></p>We must take significant and rapid action now, to ensure cities play their part in limiting dangerous global warming and withstand the climate challenges ahead.Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of MelbourneGeorgia Warren-Myers, Senior Lecturer in Property, The University of MelbourneJudy Bush, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1325022020-03-04T19:08:21Z2020-03-04T19:08:21ZNSW building certification bill still lets developers off the hook<p>The News South Wales government is struggling to implement building industry reforms recommended by the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">Shergold-Weir report</a> over two years ago. </p>
<p>Developers are home free in its proposed legislation; the Design and Building Practitioners Bill doesn’t even mention them. They still appear to be in a position to collect the profits and then <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/asic-puts-liquidators-on-notice-over-illegal-phoenixing-20190902-p52n1r.html">phoenix</a> themselves if something goes wrong. </p>
<p>And something is going wrong all too often. David Chandler, the NSW building commissioner appointed to oversee the reforms, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/warning-nsw-construction-crisis-fix-is-still-two-years-away-20200207-p53yuw.html">said</a> recently he was “ a bit despondent” after seeing “some really regrettable things out there” in a program of site visits. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lack-of-information-on-apartment-defects-leaves-whole-market-on-shaky-footings-127007">Lack of information on apartment defects leaves whole market on shaky footings</a>
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<p>Even though the commissioner can see how bad things are, he <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/warning-nsw-construction-crisis-fix-is-still-two-years-away-20200207-p53yuw.html">says</a> it will take until 2022 for the building industry to “get people back to what they should be doing”. </p>
<p>The lack of progress hasn’t stopped the minister for better regulation, Kevin Anderson, claiming credit. In announcing the <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3716">Design and Building Practitioners Bill 2019</a> last October, he <a href="https://www.customerservice.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-releases/ministerial-releases/strong-foundations-set-for-building-reform">said</a>: “People should feel confident they can enter the housing market in NSW knowing their home has been designed and built in accordance with the Building Code of Australia.”</p>
<p>He must have forgotten to add “maybe after 2022” and “only if you are buying new”. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/would-you-buy-a-new-apartment-building-confidence-depends-on-ending-the-blame-game-122180">Would you buy a new apartment? Building confidence depends on ending the blame game</a>
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<p>The upper house then rejected the bill. It’s now being revised. </p>
<h2>What’s wrong with the bill?</h2>
<p>The bill has the avowed aim of making people who design and build buildings responsible for non-compliance with the National Construction Code by getting them to sign certificates attesting that the building is built according to the code. </p>
<p>This is a guarantee of not very much. The code does <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-restore-public-confidence-in-apartments-rewrite-australias-building-codes-126678">not regulate durability or require that buildings be waterproof</a>. Plus, of course, many people have been signing similar certificates for certifiers <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/knowing-who-to-blame-is-cold-comfort-to-owners-of-defective-apartments-20191026-p534gw.html">without it having had much impact</a> to date. </p>
<p>The bill has many other faults and omissions. It does not require a principal design practitioner to be appointed to a complex project and no one is identified as the lead consultant. This means there is no person identified to coordinate design work between all disciplines (architecture and engineering) or to ensure design declarations relate to work as actually done, taking into account all engineering designs and site conditions.</p>
<p>The most critical problem is that the people signing the attestations are not required to actually inspect work during construction. Such a requirement was a key recommendation of the Shergold-Weir report. </p>
<p>The purpose of the bill, other than as political soft soap, is unclear. We already have design practitioners, called “architects”, who are registered under state law. We already have builders under state law, who are called “licensed contractors”. </p>
<p>We have the National Construction Code as a starting point for regulating building performance. We already have a Home Building Act. Under the Local Government Act, local councils clearly <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/very-shocked-and-surprised-as-sydney-waterfront-work-site-shutdown-20200224-p543u8.html">have the power to stop work on site</a> if the builder is doing the wrong thing. </p>
<p>What we don’t have is a mechanism to unite these existing powers to ensure buildings are designed and documented to be durable, liveable and waterproof. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-restore-public-confidence-in-apartments-rewrite-australias-building-codes-126678">To restore public confidence in apartments, rewrite Australia's building codes</a>
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<h2>Steps that will solve the problems</h2>
<p>If the government is as keen to deliver certainty to the new-build market as the minister asserts, what could it do? </p>
<p>First up, if there are things on site of the sort the building commissioner “<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/warning-nsw-construction-crisis-fix-is-still-two-years-away-20200207-p53yuw.html">abhors</a>”, these sites should be shut down under existing powers. The state government would need to negotiate with councils about implementing and funding inspections, but this could be done promptly. </p>
<p>Does the government need to know which buildings to target? Simply look at the qualifications and track records of the building company directors. </p>
<p>A developer could be compelled to use a registered architect for any building for housing over two storeys high and required to retain the architect for site inspections during construction. Amendments to the Home Building Act or its regulations could achieve this. </p>
<p>As architects are already registered and legally required to hold professional indemnity insurance, no new legislation would be required. The lack of registration of engineers might be an issue, but no architect who is ultimately responsible for a building will work with an engineer they regard as incompetent. </p>
<p>The National Construction Code is <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-restore-public-confidence-in-apartments-rewrite-australias-building-codes-126678">not good at requiring buildings to be waterproof</a>, but, again, some simple changes could be made to the Home Building Act. These should include beefed-up requirements for waterproofing any balcony or planter box larger in area than about six square metres. </p>
<p>We know for sure any tiles directly stuck to a membrane over a large area will fail, either immediately or relatively soon. Making it compulsory to use a system that allows tiles to be removed to access the membrane is simple and will eliminate years of misery. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-with-buyer-protection-and-no-serious-faults-is-that-too-much-to-ask-of-builders-and-regulators-113115">Housing with buyer protection and no serious faults – is that too much to ask of builders and regulators?</a>
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<h2>What’s stopping the government?</h2>
<p>If these steps are so simple and obvious, why isn’t the NSW government doing it? </p>
<p>Mainly, it would appear, because it’s <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/liberals-enact-plan-b-to-ban-property-developer-hit-list-from-local-councils-20200228-p545ei.html">in thrall to the development industry</a>, which believes reintroducing these measures will reduce its profits.</p>
<p>The developers are right about this; building properly is more expensive. But I think most buyers would happily pay a bit more for a safe and durable product. They do that when buying consumer durables such as cars and appliances. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/lack-of-information-on-apartment-defects-leaves-whole-market-on-shaky-footings-127007">Good developers would benefit</a> as this approach would help weed out the dodgy ones. </p>
<p>To restore the public’s <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-game-s-changed-nsw-building-boss-set-for-extra-powers-to-launch-construction-crackdown-20200224-p543ut.html">lost confidence in new multi-unit residential housing</a>, the government should pull the levers it has to hand first and then resolve the problem of existing defective stock. </p>
<p>Later it can think about some of the wider issues, but how about doing something useful now? We have been waiting two years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132502/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer has received funding from the NSW BACC. He is a member of the Australian Institute or Architects. </span></em></p>The proposed law does little to give people confidence in the apartments they buy. And it utterly neglects the role of architects and on-site inspections in delivering sound buildings.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1221802019-08-27T20:10:39Z2019-08-27T20:10:39ZWould you buy a new apartment? Building confidence depends on ending the blame game<p>“What we need to do is rebuild confidence in Australia’s building and construction sector,” <a href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/transcripts/doorstop-building-ministers-forum-sydney">said</a> federal minister Karen Andrews after the July 2019 meeting of the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/regulations-and-standards/building-and-construction/building-ministers-forum">Building Ministers’ Forum</a>. </p>
<p>This has been a recurring theme since the federal, state and territory ministers commissioned Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir in mid-2017 to assess the effectiveness of building and construction industry regulation across Australia. They presented their <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">Building Confidence report</a> to the ministers in February 2018. </p>
<p>In the 18 months since then, the combined might of nine governments has made scant progress towards implementing the report’s 24 simple recommendations. Confidence in building regulation and quality has clearly continued to deteriorate among the public and construction industry.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">The big lesson from Opal Tower is that badly built apartments aren't only an issue for residents</a>
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<p>In last week’s Four Corners program, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/4corners/cracking-up/11431474">Cracking Up</a>, Weir was asked whether she would buy an apartment. She responded: “I wouldn’t buy a newly built apartment, no […] I’d buy an older one.” She went on to say: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We have hundreds of thousands of apartments that have been built across the country over the last two, three decades. Probably the prevalence of noncompliance has been particularly bad, I would say in the last say 15 to 20 years […] And that means there’s a lot of existing building stock that has defects in it […] There’ll be legacy issues for some time and I suspect there’ll be legacy issues that we’re not even fully aware of yet. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>These comments may not have delighted those developers trying to sell new apartments, or owners selling existing apartments, but they are fair and correct. Confidence will not be restored until all the governments act together to improve regulatory oversight and deal with existing defective buildings. </p>
<p>Residents of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">Lacrosse</a>, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/same-as-grenfell-tower-cladding-fears-as-fire-rips-through-melbourne-cbd-apartment-building-20190204-p50vgl.html">Neo200</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">Opal</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/buck-passing-on-apartment-building-safety-leaves-residents-at-risk-119000">Mascot</a> towers and other buildings with serious defects are already living with the impact of “legacy” problems. Over the weekend, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-23/cladding-and-mould-forces-residents-out-of-apartment-block/11443976">another apartment building was evacuated</a> – this time in Mordialloc in southeast Melbourne. The building was deemed unsafe because it was clad with combustible material and had defects in its fire detection and warning system.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_qpPAoWy1CU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Residents had to evacuate an apartment building in Mordialloc, Melbourne, after it was found to pose an extreme fire safety risk.</span></figcaption>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">Cladding fire risks have been known for years. Lives depend on acting now, with no more delays</a>
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<h2>A costly but essential fix</h2>
<p>Fixing such defects is a costly business. A Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal <a href="https://www.vcat.vic.gov.au/resources/owners-corporation-no1-of-ps613436t-owners-corporation-no-2-of-ps613436t-owners">decision</a> established that the costs due to fire damage and replacing combustible cladding on the Lacrosse building in Melbourne are around A$36,000 per unit on average. At Mascot Towers, consultant engineers <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-23/mascot-towers-repair-bill-soars-to-20-million/11439856">estimated the cost</a> of structural repairs at up to A$150,000 per unit on average.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/governing-the-compact-city-the-role-and-effectiveness-of-strata-management-in-higher-density-residential-developments/">UNSW</a> and <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/residential/cladding-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-20190612-p51wrw#logout">Deakin</a> research, between 70% and 97% of units in strata apartments have significant defects. Let’s assume 85% have such defects and the average cost of fixing these is only $25,000 per unit. That would mean total repair costs for the 500,000 or so tall apartments (four-storey and above) across Australia could exceed A$10 billion. </p>
<p>The Victorian government has taken the lead on combustible cladding, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/flammable-cladding-removal-fund-victorian-government/11311518">setting up and funding a A$600 million scheme</a> to replace it. It’s also replacing combustible cladding on low-rise school buildings even though these may comply with the letter of the National Construction Code. </p>
<p>No other state has yet followed this lead. This is concerning given the risk to life. No one viewing images of the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/how-hundreds-of-lives-were-thrown-into-chaos-when-neo-200-caught-fire-20190429-p51i62.html">Neo200 fire</a> in the Melbourne CBD could doubt how dangerous combustible cladding can be. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Combustible cladding allowed fire to spread rapidly up the Neo200 building.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The other states and territories should immediately copy the Victorian scheme. While not perfect, and probably underfunded, it is a positive step to improve public safety. The Andrews government should be congratulated for doing something practical while its counterparts in New South Wales and Queensland, which have many buildings with combustible cladding, fiddle about. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">Flammable cladding costs could approach billions for building owners if authorities dither</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>All governments share responsibility</h2>
<p>The federal government’s response has been inadequate. When asked about contributing to the Victorian scheme, Karen Andrews said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Commonwealth is not an ATM for the states […] this problem is of the states’ making and they need to step up and fix the problem and dig into their own pockets.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This flies in the face of reality. All nine governments are responsible for building regulation and enforcement. All signed the <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Corporate/2017-Inter-Governmental-Agreement">intergovernmental agreement</a> on building regulation. </p>
<p>The federal government, which chairs the Building Ministers’ Forum, leads building regulation in Australia. The <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/ABCB/The-Board">Australian Building Codes Board</a>, which produces the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/About">National Construction Code</a>, is effectively a federal government agency. The precursor to the national code, the Building Code of Australia, was a federal initiative.</p>
<p>It is clear Australian governments have worked effectively together in the past to combat threats to life and safety, or to provide consumer protection nationwide. Examples include initiatives as diverse as the <a href="https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n5314/html/ch09.xhtml?referer=&page=16">national gun buyback</a>, the <a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/what-we-do/how-we-operate/history/">creation of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission</a> (<a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/what-we-do/our-role/">ASIC</a>) and the <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/transport/cars/general/articles/takata-airbags-what-you-need-to-know-in-australia-230717">program to replace defective Takata airbags</a> in cars.</p>
<p>The crop of building defects we see today are a direct result of negligent regulation by all nine governments over the past two decades. Clearly, they all have a legal and moral duty to coordinate and contribute to a program to manage the risks and economic damage this has created. </p>
<p>All the evidence points to a <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/governments-failed-to-act-on-warnings-of-combustible-cladding-dangers-20190226-h1br6n">long-term failure to heed repeated warnings about the dangers</a>. Governments and regulators were captive to the interests of the development lobby, building industry and building materials supply industry.</p>
<p>The governments must stop playing a blame game. Effective programs are urgently needed to fix defects, including combustible cladding, incorrectly installed fire protection measures, structural noncompliance, structural failure and leaks. </p>
<p>The Australian Building Codes Board, which is directly responsible for the mess, should be reformed to ensure it becomes an effective regulator. The National Construction Code <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">should be changed</a> to make consumer protection an objective in the delivery of housing for sale. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-with-buyer-protection-and-no-serious-faults-is-that-too-much-to-ask-of-builders-and-regulators-113115">Housing with buyer protection and no serious faults – is that too much to ask of builders and regulators?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>All parties involved will have to take some pain: regulators, developers, builders, subcontractors, consultants, certifiers, insurers, aluminium panel manufacturers, suppliers and owners. Only governments can broker a solution as it will require legislation and an allocation of responsibility for fault. </p>
<p>The alternative will probably be a huge number of individual legal cases and a rash of owner bankruptcies, which may well leave the guilty parties untouched.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated to clarify the nature of around A$12 million in costs incurred by apartment owners in the Lacrosse building, of which <a href="https://www.afr.com/property/four-years-after-lacrosse-fire-lu-simon-to-replace-cladding-for-56-million-20181205-h18qoo">A$5.6 million was the agreed cost of replacing combustible cladding</a> after the 2014 cladding fire. These costs do not include legal costs or financial impacts on owners, such as reduced property values, that are unable to be assessed under the rules of the tribunal.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122180/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer has received funding from the Building and Construction Council of NSW to research building defects. The BACC is no longer in existence. </span></em></p>Unsafe apartments are being evacuated as confidence plummets – even the author of a report commissioned by building ministers wouldn’t buy a new apartment. What will it take for governments to act?Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1162512019-07-23T13:05:39Z2019-07-23T13:05:39ZWhy are Atlantic and Gulf coast property owners building back bigger after hurricanes?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285018/original/file-20190721-116586-7ela5z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Surf threatens beach houses on Dauphin Island, Alabama, September 4, 2011 during Tropical Storm Lee. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Tropical-Storm-Lee/cc018f8a1a694951982b475790743f45/11/0">AP Photo/Dave Martin</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>U.S. coastal counties are densely populated and extensively developed. They also are directly exposed to sea level rise and storms, which scientists predict will become <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/8/">more destructive</a> as climate change progresses. </p>
<p>But despite forward-looking environmental management and land-use planning intended to reduce future risk, development trends in many coastal locations are running in the opposite direction.</p>
<p>As geoscientists, we are interested in <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Y0MFs-kAAAAJ&hl=en">natural physical processes of coastal change</a> and in how human decisions <a href="https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=R0Xf_skAAAAJ&hl=en">interact with natural processes</a>. In our research on broad development trends in hurricane alleys of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts, we have found that houses rebuilt in the years following a hurricane <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-018-0185-y">typically increased in size</a> relative to their original footprints. </p>
<p>In other words, these homes were built back bigger in places known to be vulnerable to coastal hazards. Recognizing the emerging pattern of these risky investments is an important step toward understanding why people are making them in the first place. As critics point out, federal disaster aid and subsidized flood insurance are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/science/earth/as-coasts-rebuild-and-us-pays-again-critics-stop-to-ask-why.html">funded with taxpayer dollars</a>, so Americans far from the coasts effectively subsidize development in hazardous areas. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BxyMxLMguxL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Expanding footprints</h2>
<p>Although coastal shoreline counties (excluding Alaska) account for less than 10% of total U.S. land area, in 2010 they were home to 39% of the national population. Between 1970 and 2010, coastal shoreline counties added <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/training/population-report.html">3.5 times more people per square mile</a> than the nation as a whole.</p>
<p>Hurricanes are a well-known hazard along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/index.php?season=2018&basin=atl">2018 Atlantic hurricane season</a> included 15 named storms, of which eight were hurricanes. Two became major systems: Hurricane Florence (Category 4) and Hurricane Michael (Category 5), with a combined estimated total of <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events.pdf">US$50 billion in damages</a>. </p>
<p>Even an average season, as NOAA is <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-predicts-near-normal-2019-atlantic-hurricane-season">forecasting for 2019</a>, might include 12 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes and three reaching intensities of at least Category 3. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285019/original/file-20190721-116590-bmshds.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Population in Atlantic and Gulf coast counties grew every year from 2000 to 2016 except for 2005-2006.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/08/coastal-county-population-rises.html">U.S. Census Bureau</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This means coastal property owners stand a good chance of being in a storm’s path in any given year. But it remains unclear how they factor coastal hazards into their economic decisions. Relatively few studies have tracked long-term patterns of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2014.980440">socioeconomic recovery and demographic change</a> after Atlantic hurricane strikes. </p>
<p>In the 1990s coastal researchers started reporting anecdotally that they were seeing houses that had been destroyed by major storms rebuilt later to larger dimensions. They describe occurrences in South Carolina after <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25735607">Hurricane Hugo in 1989</a>; Massachusetts after the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4298197">Halloween storm of 1991</a>; and New Jersey after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02835562">storms in 1962, 1984 and 1992</a>. </p>
<p>Seeking to quantify these descriptions, we examined a total of nearly 5,000 building footprints in five beach communities that were hit by hurricanes between 2003 and 2016: Mantoloking, New Jersey; Hatteras, North Carolina; Santa Rosa Island, Florida; Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Bolivar, Texas. Our data, which we digitized from satellite imagery, bore out descriptions of building back bigger. Moreover, we found that houses newly constructed (not rebuilt) after hurricanes in these communities tended to be larger than houses that predated the hurricanes. </p>
<p>What could explain this pattern? With so many possible drivers, we don’t yet know the answer, but two potentially important factors stand out: variances from local planning laws and engineered hazard protections.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"969603343587868672"}"></div></p>
<h2>Is bigger better?</h2>
<p>Many coastal communities have updated their building codes in recent decades in order to make houses less prone to damage in major storms. But storm-proofing improvements are not silver bullets.</p>
<p>A team investigating the Bolivar Peninsula immediately northeast of Galveston, Texas after <a href="https://www.weather.gov/hgx/projects_ike08">Hurricane Ike in 2008</a> found that houses arrayed along the same multi-kilometer stretch of shoreline experienced <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X14531828">different kinds of damage</a>. Homes elevated on pilings sustained more damage from wind than from flooding, while the opposite was true for houses that were not elevated. The properties that fared best tended to be older and built on slightly higher elevations set back from the shoreline.</p>
<p>Another research team modeling impacts from <a href="https://www.weather.gov/okx/HurricaneSandy">Hurricane Sandy in 2012</a> on the Rockaways in the New York City borough of Queens found little correlation between building height or ground-surface area and hazard indicators, such as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2015.05.006">power and depth of flooding and the strength of wave impacts</a>.</p>
<p>Precautionary regulations are better than nothing, and efforts are growing to provide guidance for “<a href="https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/fileadmin/user_upload/research/centres/risk/downloads/crs-case-study-superstorm-sandy">building back better</a>” after disasters. Unfortunately, in many parts of the U.S. it is possible to avoid such requirements. </p>
<p>Properties built prior to the inception of new building codes may receive variances from local planning and enforcement authorities. Such practices, along with lack of enforcement of existing planning rules, have been well documented in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08920750290042192">North Carolina</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01944360802229612">Florida</a>. Homes like the so-called “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/14/us/hurricane-michael-florida-mexico-beach-house.html">super house</a>” in Mexico Beach, Florida, which was built with features that far exceeded local building codes and weathered <a href="https://www.weather.gov/tae/HurricaneMichael2018">Hurricane Michael in October 2018</a> with only minor damage, are exceptions, not the rule.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eLjsDQyW5Y8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Russell King and Dr. Lebron Lackey describe how they built one of the few houses left standing in Mexico Beach, Florida, after Hurricane Michael.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Encouraging risky choices</h2>
<p>Engineering projects such as <a href="https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Coasts/Tales-of-the-Coast/Corps-and-the-Coast/Shore-Protection/Beach-Nourishment/">beach nourishment</a> – adding sand to eroded shorelines – and <a href="https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Coasts/Tales-of-the-Coast/Corps-and-the-Coast/Shore-Protection/Armoring-Structures/">seawalls</a> may also indirectly encourage development. Experts call this pattern, in which hazard protections promote risky land-use decisions, the “<a href="https://coastalresilience.tamu.edu/home/introduction-to-coastal-resilience/legal-framework-for-planning/shifting-burdens/">safe development paradox</a>.” </p>
<p>We are exploring connections between coastal development and beach nourishment projects, and have found that in Florida – the most hurricane-battered state in the U.S. – houses are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/2016EF000425">larger and more numerous</a> in areas that practice beach nourishment. Moreover, Florida beachfront houses built in the last decade are far larger than older houses, and the relative size difference is most pronounced in nourishment areas.</p>
<p>In another study spanning the entire U.S. Atlantic coast, we found that since beach nourishment became commonplace in 1960, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF001070">large-scale trends in average rates of shoreline change have reversed</a>. Using records from the U.S. Geological Survey, we calculated that, before 1960, the Eastern Seaboard was eroding at an average rate of approximately 21 inches (55 centimeters) per year. </p>
<p>Since 1960, however, the direction of average shoreline change has reversed, expanding seaward by approximately 2 inches (5 centimeters) per year – even as sea levels rise. And the greatest reversals have occurred in zones of intensive beach nourishment. Our results suggest that beach nourishment has obscured ongoing erosion enough to make shorelines appear more stable than they actually are. </p>
<h2>Getting incentives right</h2>
<p>The trend of building back bigger could be blunted if sea level rise begins to affect <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.03.013">markets for coastal real estate</a>. But the same trend could arise in other settings, such as urban areas prone to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/13/3314.short">wildfires</a>, if recovery regulations and infrastructure upgrades send the same kind of mixed signals about whether an area is safe to develop.</p>
<p>Ultimately, coastal development is a political issue. With coastal hazards only getting worse, regulators will need to make difficult choices to ensure that development patterns actually trend toward lower future risk.</p>
<p>[ <em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>. ]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116251/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eli Lazarus receives funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council and The Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Evan B. Goldstein has received funding from the US National Science Foundation, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the US Department of Defense. </span></em></p>‘Building back better’ refers to making communities more disaster-proof and resilient after they take a hit. But instead, some US owners are building back bigger homes in vulnerable places.Eli Lazarus, Associate Professor in Geomorphology, University of SouthamptonEvan B. Goldstein, Research Scientist in Geography, Environment, and Sustainability, University of North Carolina – GreensboroLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1205922019-07-19T05:38:49Z2019-07-19T05:38:49ZMinisters fiddle while buildings crack and burn<p>The <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/regulations-and-standards/building-and-construction/building-ministers-forum">Building Ministers’ Forum</a> (BMF) <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/building-industry-meeting-agrees-to-create-national-body/11320444">met yesterday</a> yet again to discuss implementing the February 2018 <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">Shergold-Weir Report</a> they commissioned in mid-2017. The BMF is responsible for overseeing the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and building regulation across Australia. The BMF <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-07/bmf-communique-18-july-2019.pdf">announced</a> yesterday it’s going to “strengthen” the ABCB, which will be “expanded to include greater representation and engagement from industry”.</p>
<p>This is the same regulator and the same industry that have been responsible for producing the dud buildings that have been making news across the country: <a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">Lacrosse</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">Opal</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">Neo200</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/buck-passing-on-apartment-building-safety-leaves-residents-at-risk-119000">Mascot Towers</a>, the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/zetland-apartments-abandoned-in-secret-evacuation-over-severe-defects-20190709-p525lk.html">Gadigal Avenue apartments</a> and countless others that have burned, leaked, cracked and failed, but in less newsworthy ways. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buck-passing-on-apartment-building-safety-leaves-residents-at-risk-119000">Buck-passing on apartment building safety leaves residents at risk</a>
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<p>On being appointed by the federal Coalition government in November 2017, the current chair of the ABCB, ex-NSW premier John Fahey, had this <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Connect/Articles/2017/11/Introducing-the-new-Chair-of-the-ABCB">to say</a> about his priorities:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The reform must reduce significantly red tape and have an over-riding focus of industry affordability.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In other words, the ABCB was to improve compliance by reducing red tape and focusing on “affordability”, which is about making buildings cheaper at completion. As the White Queen said to Alice in Wonderland: “Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” </p>
<h2>Self-regulation has failed</h2>
<p>Needless to say, virtually no progress has been made to re-regulate the industry, provide protection for consumers, or improve the durability and safety of buildings in the 19 months Fahey has held the reins. </p>
<p>Both major political parties have played a role in creating the policy and self-regulation regime that has produced so many faulty buildings over the last 30 years. It is about time the ALP, the Coalition, the BMF and the ABCB admitted that self-regulation has failed. NSW Liberal Premier Gladys Berejiklian <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-hasn-t-worked-premier-admits-sydney-s-building-industry-is-failing-20190710-p52601.html">has already done so</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We allowed the industry to self-regulate and it hasn’t worked. There are too many challenges, too many problems, and that’s why the government’s willing to legislate.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The building ministers should instruct the ABCB to dump its focus on self-regulation and also require the regulator to start taking into account whole-of-life building costs, not just cost at completion. Senior ABCB staff, including the chair, appear to be part of the problem. Asking for their resignation or sacking them would not be unreasonable in the circumstances. </p>
<h2>Regulations are far from watertight</h2>
<p>Section F of the National Construction Code (<a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC/2019/NCC-2019-Volume-One/Section-F-Health-and-Amenity/Part-F1-Damp-And-Weatherproofing">NCC</a>), which controls waterproofing, should be immediately rewritten to make it clear buildings should be waterproof. Section FP1.4 now reads:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A roof and external wall (including openings around windows and doors) must prevent the penetration of water that could cause —
(a) unhealthy or dangerous conditions, or loss of amenity for occupants; and
(b) undue dampness or deterioration of building elements.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What are “unhealthy or dangerous conditions”? What constitutes a “loss of amenity”? What is “undue dampness”? </p>
<p>No one can answer these questions, which is why builders and developers regularly try to dodge responsibility for leaks, by claiming moisture ingress is due to occupants “taking too many showers” or that “a bit of moisture is normal”. </p>
<p>The ABCB should change this clause to read:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A roof and external wall including all penetrations and inclusions must prevent the ingress of water and water vapour to the habitable part of a building for a minimum period of 40 years, without any maintenance. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Specifying durability standards is important. At present, most of the test methods in the NCC are satisfied if a sample component performs once in a lab. This does not deal with issues that occur in practice. </p>
<p>We know that any joint depending entirely on a sealant or paint is likely to last for <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZfNKeNuQukwC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=deterioration+of+silicone+sealants+in+australian+conditions&source=bl&ots=iq_fiFg_t8&sig=ACfU3U2wajoIt5ZAsus2z2E4IUthJOszsQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjAwuz5nMDjAhVl73MBHZmUA1A4ChDoATACegQICBAB#v=onepage&q=deterioration%20of%20silicone%20sealants%20in%20australian%20conditions&f=false">only between seven and ten years</a> if it is exposed to typical Australian sunlight and atmospheric conditions. That is nowhere near good enough on a tall building, where the entire facade will have to be scaffolded to rectify defects. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">Australia has a new National Construction Code, but it's still not good enough</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Unfortunately, we can’t sack the past state and federal ministers who have presided over this fiasco. But the least the current politicians can do is not appoint them to the authorities that are supposed to be cleaning up the mess. </p>
<p>For example, former Victorian deputy premier John Thwaites was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-03/taskforce-to-investigate-flammable-cladding-on-vic-buildings/8672892">appointed to lead the Victorian Cladding Taskforce</a>. Thwaites <a href="https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/bpn/john-thwaites-appointed-to-chair-australian-buildi">chaired the Australian Building Control Board</a> (ABCB) from 2011 to 2017, appointed by the Rudd government. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6STWyPod9wI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Lacrosse apartments cladding fire rang alarm bells back in 2014.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">Lacrosse fire ruling sends shudders through building industry consultants and governments</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>The problems are widespread</h2>
<p>In 1996, <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/2071.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7EApartment%20Living%7E20">according to ABS data</a>, nearly one in five (18%) of all Australia’s occupied apartments were four storeys or over. By 2016 this had more than doubled to 38% of all occupied apartments (or 463,557 in total in 2016).</p>
<p>All of these buildings have been completed during a period where there has been “an over-riding focus on affordability” to use Fahey’s words. If the <a href="https://www.australianpropertyjournal.com.au/2019/06/19/apartment-owners-face-potential-financial-ruin/">research</a> we have is any guide, between 80% and 97% of these buildings may have serious defects. </p>
<p>If these buildings are defective, the owners and tenants <a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-with-buyer-protection-and-no-serious-faults-is-that-too-much-to-ask-of-builders-and-regulators-113115">have virtually no recourse</a>. Development companies and building companies are routinely wound up after a building is completed, state governments have withdrawn from the insurance market and private insurers have been proven to provide limited protection – some have now <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-18/building-industry-meeting-agrees-to-create-national-body/11320444">withdrawn indemnity insurance</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">Flammable cladding costs could approach billions for building owners if authorities dither</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This situation is so bad, and trust in the industry so damaged, that we were treated last week to the unique spectacle of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriton">Meriton</a> boss Harry Triguboff, among others, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/immediate-reforms-triguboff-s-meriton-wants-building-industry-change-20190712-p526re.html">asking the government to do a better job of regulating builders</a>. </p>
<p>What we need now is concerted and urgent action to stop defective buildings being built and a plan to help residential apartment owners rectify their buildings. (The commercial and government sector by and large can look after itself.) </p>
<p>The highest priority is to replace combustible cladding on tall residential buildings. The Victorian government should be congratulated for <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-16/flammable-cladding-removal-fund-victorian-government/11311518">going forward with a scheme to achieve this</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the BMF and the ABCB are still fiddling while Rome burns. They need to get on with it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120592/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer received funding to research building defects from the Building and Construction Council (NSW). </span></em></p>The construction industry crisis didn’t happen overnight. Authorities have been on notice for years to fix the problems that now have the industry itself calling for better regulation.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1187442019-07-16T11:43:08Z2019-07-16T11:43:08ZAmericans focus on responding to earthquake damage, not preventing it, because they’re unaware of their risk<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284165/original/file-20190715-173329-1x4p380.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=250%2C161%2C3044%2C2090&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Heavily built-up areas can experience more disastrous damage in an earthquake.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/California-Earthquake/de366a6765ba4358bea29e60b1de53be/5/0">AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On July 4 and 5, two major earthquakes, followed by <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/earthquakes-animation-southern-california/index.html">several thousand smaller</a> ones, struck Southern California. Their size and the damage they caused captured attention around the country.</p>
<p>What tends to get much less notice from the public is what can be done to prevent catastrophic damage from big quakes.</p>
<p>Had the epicenter of these latest large California earthquakes been closer to downtown Los Angeles, <a href="https://hcidla.lacity.org/blog/seismic-retrofit-program">tens of thousands of apartment buildings</a> could have been damaged or collapsed. Consequently, structural engineers are <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/southern-california-isn-t-doing-enough-fix-earthquake-vulnerable-buildings-n1027646">calling on legislators</a> to prepare for and prevent earthquake damage by crafting new and improved building codes. Restricting where developers can put up new skyscrapers, or requiring that new residential buildings be designed to withstand high-magnitude earthquakes, could ultimately save structures and lives.</p>
<p>For the most part, though, there’s just not that much general demand for preventative policies. Why?</p>
<p>Might low awareness about earthquake risks help explain why the public doesn’t demand policies aimed at mitigating the loss of life and property in the event of a major earthquake? Andrew Rohrman, a civil engineer, <a href="http://www.mattmotta.com">and I, a political scientist</a>, teamed up to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2019.18">investigate this question</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284167/original/file-20190715-173360-1gp1j4n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">What would happen if an earthquake like the one that hit San Francisco in 1906 struck the city today?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Domestic-News-California-Unite-/13c6890162e5da11af9f0014c2589dfb/3/0">ASSOCIATED PRESS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Politicians give people what they want</h2>
<p>For an example of inconsistent and inadequate earthquake preparedness regulations, look at San Francisco. While the city has strict laws on the books to prevent damage to hospitals and schools, regulations regarding its 160 skyscrapers are significantly more lax. A 50-story tower in downtown San Francisco has the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/17/us/san-francisco-earthquake-seismic-gamble.html">same building strength requirements</a> as a structure with only five stories.</p>
<p>Although scientists can’t <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20243-why-earthquakes-are-hard-to-predict/">precisely predict when and where</a> earthquakes will strike, a 2014 U.S. Geological Survey report suggested <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20163020">there’s a 72% chance</a> that an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude or greater will hit the Bay Area within the next 25 years. If the epicenter of an earthquake of that size strikes close to downtown San Francisco, as was the case in the city’s <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/1906calif/18april/">catastrophic 1906 earthquake</a>, <a href="https://redfora.com/blogs/advice/sf-liquefaction-zones">liquefaction</a> – that is, the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265225254_Magnitude-distance_relations_for_liquefaction_in_soil_from_earthquakes">destabilization of soil</a> – could threaten the structural integrity of dozens of large buildings.</p>
<p>Why are San Francisco’s disaster prevention policies so weak? The answer could be due to low public demand. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055400265143">Policymakers have an electoral incentive</a> to institute <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/2082973">changes that are important to the public</a> since voters can get rid of politicians who don’t respond to their policy preferences. Absent that demand, legislators may avoid pursuing this type of action as other issues take precedence. </p>
<p>Researchers have found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0961321042000221052">Americans don’t prioritize</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1527-6988(2000)1:2(73)">local policies aimed at earthquake disaster prevention</a>. That holds true even for those living in areas where earthquakes are relatively common. Although there is some evidence that Americans reward politicians who <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ei/cbg023">allocate</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381611000843">funds</a> to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055409990104">respond</a> to natural disasters after they occur, there’s just not much support for policies to prevent damage and loss of life in the first place.</p>
<p>So, why isn’t the public demanding more from their policymakers to mitigate the risks posed by major earthquakes? Our research set out to answer this question.</p>
<h2>Recognizing real risks increases policy support</h2>
<p>The low demand for preventative policies in the U.S. could stem from the fact that many Americans, even those who regularly experience earthquakes, inaccurately assess the likelihood that they’ll experience a big one.</p>
<p>For example, surveys of Southern California residents suggest that people incorrectly perceive themselves as being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/0272-4332.00002">at fairly modest risk</a> of experiencing a major earthquake. Others have documented high levels of public <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0272-4332.2004.00414.x">misinformation about earthquake risks and predictability</a> – such as the idea that odd animal behavior can signal an impending earthquake.</p>
<p>To study how risk perceptions might shape public policy support, we surveyed 855 Americans who reside in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska or Hawaii.</p>
<p>We asked people to tell us what they thought the probability was, on a 0 to 100 scale, that a “major earthquake causing catastrophic damage” will occur where they live within the next 20 years. This was their perceived earthquake risk score.</p>
<p>Then we looked at a measure developed by seismologists to determine the objective probability of a major earthquake – known as “peak ground acceleration” – based on the zip code of each respondent. That way we could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2019.18">compare their perceived probability with the actual risk</a>.</p>
<p>Additionally, we asked respondents how much they support or oppose implementing stricter building code requirements, investing in public awareness campaigns about earthquake preparedness and restricting where private developers can build large buildings. These responses on a seven-point scale, from 1 (strongly oppose) to 7 (strongly support), gave us a measure of support for preventative public policy.</p>
<p>We found only a modest relationship between objective earthquake risk (peak ground acceleration) and perceptions of earthquake risk. Although people who live in highly at-risk zip codes tend to feel more at risk than people living in less at-risk areas, it wasn’t by much. Alarmingly, we found that people living in some of the most at-risk zip codes in the country, like those in and surrounding the Bay Area, perceived their risk as being virtually the same as those living in areas where large earthquakes are highly unlikely, as in northeastern Oregon and Washington.</p>
<p>Critically, though, people who live in highly at-risk areas, and who accurately recognize that they are at risk, express significantly higher levels of policy support than people who live in at-risk areas and inaccurately assess their risk. These individuals also tend to express significantly higher levels of support than people who live in comparatively lower risk areas.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284168/original/file-20190715-173360-1xwzc2q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Individuals can prep for disasters, but building codes are up to lawmakers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Associated-Press-Domestic-News-California-Unite-/a188bb962be1da11af9f0014c2589dfb/2/0">AP Photo/Eric Risberg</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A job for improved science communication</h2>
<p>Our research has important implications for public policy. By showing that people who recognize they live in at-risk areas are, in fact, more supportive of policy efforts to mitigate earthquake damages, we think the public certainly has the potential to push lawmakers toward preventative policy action.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our research suggests that many Americans living in at-risk areas may hold risk perceptions that are not in line with reality. This finding underscores how important it is for local governments and science communicators to try to communicate earthquake risks to people living in hazardous areas.</p>
<p>Scientists and engineers know how to build cities in ways that would minimize the damage from a major quake. But for the public to demand policies that would help preempt, rather than simply respond to, seismic disasters, they need a clear understanding of the risks they face.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118744/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matt Motta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Engineers know how and where to build to minimize earthquake damage. But laws don’t always reflect that wisdom. A new study suggests it’s because of a mismatch between risk perceptions and reality.Matt Motta, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1188202019-06-23T19:59:16Z2019-06-23T19:59:16ZAustralia’s still building 4 in every 5 new houses to no more than the minimum energy standard<p>New housing in Australia must meet minimum energy performance requirements. We wondered how many buildings exceeded the minimum standard. What our analysis found is that four in five new houses are being built to the minimum standard and a negligible proportion to an optimal performance standard.</p>
<p>Before these standards were introduced the average performance of housing was found to be <a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/About-us/Research/Household-retrofit-trials">around 1.5 stars</a>. The current minimum across most of Australia is six stars under the <a href="http://nathers.gov.au/governance/national-construction-code-and-state-and-territory-regulations">Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS)</a>. </p>
<p>This six-star minimum falls short of what is optimal in terms of <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-housings-expensive-right-not-when-you-look-at-the-whole-equation-60056">environmental, economic</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/low-energy-homes-dont-just-save-money-they-improve-lives-81084">social</a> outcomes. It’s also below the minimum set by many <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-performance-of-buildings">other countries</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/low-energy-homes-dont-just-save-money-they-improve-lives-81084">Low-energy homes don't just save money, they improve lives</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/to-cut-emissions-the-housing-sector-has-to-pull-its-weight-13262">There have been calls</a> for these minimum standards to be raised. However, many policymakers and building industry stakeholders believe the market will lift performance beyond minimum standards and so there is no need to raise these.</p>
<h2>What did the data show?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.06.017">We wanted to understand</a> what was happening in the market to see if consumers or regulation were driving the energy performance of new housing. To do this we explored the <a href="https://ahd.csiro.au/">NatHERS data set of building approvals</a> for new Class 1 housing (detached and row houses) in Australia from May 2016 (when all data sets were integrated by CSIRO and Sustainability Victoria) to December 2018.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.06.017">Our analysis focuses</a> on new housing in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, all of which apply the minimum six-star NatHERS requirement. The other states have local variations to the standard, while New South Wales uses the BASIX index to determine the environmental impact of housing. </p>
<p>The chart below shows the performance for 187,320 house ratings. Almost 82% just met the minimum standard (6.0-6.4 star). Another 16% performed just above the minimum standard (6.5-6.9 star). </p>
<p>Only 1.5% were designed to perform at the economically optimal 7.5 stars and beyond. By this we mean a balance between the extra upfront building costs and the savings and benefits from lifetime building performance.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=262&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279936/original/file-20190618-118497-1w4s4b6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">NatHERS star ratings across total data set for new housing approvals, May 2016–December 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The average rating is 6.2 stars across the states. This has not changed since 2016. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=259&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=259&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=259&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279937/original/file-20190618-118535-1e61syj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Average NatHERS star rating for each state, 2016-18.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The data analysis shows that, while most housing is built to the minimum standard, the cooler temperate regions (Tasmania, ACT) have more houses above 7.0 stars compared with the warm temperate states.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=342&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279938/original/file-20190618-118526-zt83ab.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=430&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">NatHERS data spread by state.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The ACT increased average performance each year from 6.5 stars in 2016 to 6.9 stars in 2018. This was not seen in any other state or territory. </p>
<p>The ACT is the only region with <a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-star-ratings-for-homes-good-idea-but-it-needs-some-real-estate-flair-54056">mandatory disclosure of the energy rating</a> on sale or lease of property. The market can thus value the relative energy efficiency of buildings. Providing this otherwise invisible information may have empowered consumers to demand slightly better performance.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/energy-star-ratings-for-homes-good-idea-but-it-needs-some-real-estate-flair-54056">Energy star ratings for homes? Good idea, but it needs some real estate flair</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We are paying for accepting a lower standard</h2>
<p>The evidence suggests consumers are not acting rationally or making decisions to maximise their financial well-being. Rather, they just accept the minimum performance the building sector delivers. </p>
<p>Higher energy efficiency or even environmental sustainability in housing provides not only <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-housings-expensive-right-not-when-you-look-at-the-whole-equation-60056">significant benefits to the individual but also to society</a>. And these improvements can be delivered for little additional cost. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-housings-expensive-right-not-when-you-look-at-the-whole-equation-60056">Sustainable housing's expensive, right? Not when you look at the whole equation</a>
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</p>
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<p>The fact that these improvements aren’t being made suggests there are significant barriers to the market operating efficiently. This is despite increasing awareness among consumers and in the housing industry about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-power-prices-soar-we-need-a-concerted-effort-to-tackle-energy-poverty-98764">rising cost of energy</a>.</p>
<p>Eight years after the introduction of the six-star NatHERS minimum requirement for new housing in Australia, the results show the market is delivering four out of five houses that just meet this requirement. With only 1.5% designed to 7.5 stars or beyond, regulation rather than the economically optimal energy rating is clearly driving the energy performance of Australian homes. </p>
<p>Increasing the minimum performance standard is the most effective way to improve the energy outcomes.</p>
<p>The next opportunity for increasing the minimum energy requirement will be 2022. Australian housing standards were already about <a href="https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ZDHH14YGgbVJ6">2.0 NatHERS stars behind comparable developed countries in 2008</a>. If mandatory energy ratings aren’t increased, Australia will fall further behind international best practice. </p>
<p>If we continue to create a legacy of homes with relatively poor energy performance, making the transition to a low-energy and low-carbon economy is likely to get progressively more challenging and expensive. <a href="https://www.climateworksaustralia.org/publication/report/bottom-line-household-impacts-delaying-improved-energy-requirements-building-code">Recent research has calculated</a> that a delay in increasing minimum performance requirements from 2019 to 2022 will result in an estimated A$1.1 billion (to 2050) in avoidable household energy bills. That’s an extra 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buildings-produce-25-of-australias-emissions-what-will-it-take-to-make-them-green-and-wholl-pay-105652">Buildings produce 25% of Australia's emissions. What will it take to make them 'green' – and who'll pay?</a>
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<hr>
<p>Our research confirms the policy proposition that minimum house energy regulations based on the <a href="http://www.nathers.gov.au/">Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme</a> are a powerful instrument for delivering better environmental and energy outcomes. While introducing minimum standards has significantly lifted the bottom end of the market, those standards should be reviewed regularly to ensure optimal economic and environmental outcomes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118820/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council, Victorian Government and various industry partners.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Ambrose has received funding from government departments including the Department of Environment and Energy and the CRC for Low Carbon Living. CSIRO owns the AccuRate Sustainability software which is the benchmark tool used in the NatHERS software accreditation process. CSIRO receives financial benefit from the creation of NatHERS Certificates which is then used to maintain and develop the accreditation software.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Berry has received funding from various industry and government organisations including the Australian Research Council, the Government of South Australia, and the CRC for Low Carbon Living.</span></em></p>Australia requires a minimum six-star energy rating for new housing. New homes average just 6.2 stars, so builders are doing the bare minimum to comply, even as the costs of this approach are rising.Trivess Moore, Lecturer, RMIT UniversityMichael Ambrose, Research Team Leader, CSIROStephen Berry, Research fellow, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1190002019-06-19T20:01:19Z2019-06-19T20:01:19ZBuck-passing on apartment building safety leaves residents at risk<p>Hundreds of residents in a Sydney apartment complex, the 122-unit Mascot Towers, were evacuated last Sunday when cracks began to appear due to a serious structural failure. And it isn’t clear when the residents can return. </p>
<p>This crisis echoes the structural <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/five-months-on-more-than-170-opal-tower-apartments-still-uninhabitable-843214/">failure at Opal Tower</a> and its evacuation on Christmas Eve last year. We have seen a series of serious building failures and <a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">fires</a> in recent years. And state and federal governments have <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">had more than year to act on recommendations</a> for better construction regulations, but instead they’re <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/inconsistency-on-cladding-blame-the-states-industry-minister-says-20190528-p51ru6">shifting blame</a>. </p>
<p>Although each building failure was different, the end result is the same: misery for the residents and a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-19/buying-a-new-high-rise-apartment-a-risk-best-avoided/11220972">looming financial disaster for the owners</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">Flammable cladding costs could approach billions for building owners if authorities dither</a>
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<p>New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/berejiklian-says-everyone-will-be-held-to-account-over-mascot-towers-20190616-p51y64.html">said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We’re getting to the bottom of what happened. The NSW government will hold everybody to account, that’s our role.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But the government’s role is to regulate sufficiently to prevent building failures in the first place, not to hold people to account after the event. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-with-buyer-protection-and-no-serious-faults-is-that-too-much-to-ask-of-builders-and-regulators-113115">Housing with buyer protection and no serious faults – is that too much to ask of builders and regulators?</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<h2>Building regulations since the Great Fire of London</h2>
<p>Prevention of construction failures has been the bedrock of building regulations ever since the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-36774166">Great Fire of London</a> in 1666. In the aftermath, the English government realised there was not much use in raking through the ashes and trying to hold people to account, and that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. This led to the parliament <a href="https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/application/files/6514/5511/5493/what-happened-great-fire-london.pdf">passing regulations</a> to prevent the spread of fire between buildings. </p>
<p>Governments all around the developed world took the lesson of the Great Fire to heart. Their common goal has been to proactively ensure buildings are constructed properly and are safe as a result. </p>
<p>This has been a pretty successful effort and most significant building failures since 1666 have contributed to a more comprehensive and effective regulatory regime.</p>
<h2>Serious building failures appear to be more frequent</h2>
<p>Prior to the Opal Tower emergency, there had been only one significant evacuation of a multi-unit residential building in NSW due to structural failure. That was a result of the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/bondi-junction-gas-explosion-two-men-seriously-burnt-20141112-9gbp.html">2009 gas explosion</a> at Eastgate Towers in Bondi Junction. </p>
<p>However, depending on which research you read, either <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/governing-the-compact-city-the-role-and-effectiveness-of-strata-management-in-higher-density-residential-developments/">72%</a> or <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/cladding-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-20190612-p51wrw">97%</a> of strata apartments suffer from serious defects when they’re finished. </p>
<p>There have also been a series of other problems with recent buildings. These include <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-27/perth-childrens-hospital-cleared-for-opening-after-lead-problem/9591812">lead in water</a> caused by imported brass plumbing components, non-complying imported <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/recall-for-faulty-power-cables-that-could-cause-house-fires-20140827-108y25.html">electrical cables</a> and failures in the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/towers-of-trouble-20181228-p50ol6.html">installation</a> of fire doors, fire walls and fire door frames. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">Australia has a new National Construction Code, but it's still not good enough</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why has this happened?</h2>
<p>The states progressively introduced the Building Code of Australia (now the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/">National Construction Code</a>) during the 1990s as part of an agreed plan between the states and the federal government to make building regulations less prescriptive. </p>
<p>The aim was to <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/ncc-2019-section-j-gets-a-complete-overhaul/">reduce the cost</a> of construction by favouring “innovation” over conservative “deemed to satisfy” regulations. Innovation, in these terms, meant finding ways to make buildings <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/national-construction-code-change-opens-way-for-timber-buildings-up-to-8-storeys-20160128-gmg87e">cheaper</a> to build. </p>
<p>This move coincided with the globalisation of the building materials supply industry and a boom in the construction of tall apartment buildings in Australia. </p>
<p>Some of the innovation has been innocuous, or even beneficial, such as the introduction of a variety of lightweight interior wall systems, but some have resulted in substantial remediation bills – combustible cladding being the prime example. Inspection and responsibility for the plethora of imported components is virtually non-existent. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-overlook-residents-role-in-apartment-building-safety-111255">Don't overlook residents' role in apartment building safety</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The downstream cost of failure has landed squarely in the laps of the building owners, many of them owners of tall apartments. </p>
<p>It’s difficult to estimate the total bill for remedial works to tall apartment buildings built over the last 25 years, but it may well exceed the Productivity Commission <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/building/report">estimates of savings</a> resulting from the introduction of the National Construction Code. </p>
<h2>Blame shifting and ineffective regulations</h2>
<p>The federal minister responsible for building regulations, Karen Andrews, <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/inconsistency-on-cladding-blame-the-states-industry-minister-says-20190528-p51ru6">says the states</a> are to blame. </p>
<p>And some states, including NSW, have resorted to <a href="https://mattkean.com.au/news/media/nsw-fair-trading-get-extra-powers-crack-down-dodgy-builders-and-tradies-be-paid-quicker">tough talk</a> about crackdowns on “dodgy” certifiers and “dodgy” builders. In reality, the problem is dodgy government regulation, by both federal and state governments.</p>
<p>The federal and state governments already have an initial plan for fixing these problems. <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">The Shergold-Weir report</a> was delivered to the Building Ministers’ Forum in February 2018. </p>
<p>As the report said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>After having examined the matters put to us, we have concluded that the nature and extent [of building defects] are significant and concerning. The problems have led to diminishing public confidence that the building and construction industry can deliver compliant, safe buildings which will perform to the expected standards over the long term.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since then, state and federal governments have done almost nothing to implement the recommendations of the report, despite the 2018 Christmas Eve failure at Opal and the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/how-hundreds-of-lives-were-thrown-into-chaos-when-neo-200-caught-fire-20190429-p51i62.html">fire at Neo200</a> in Melbourne the following February. </p>
<p>The report itself states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The recommendations have been designed to form a holistic and structured framework to improve the compliance and enforcement systems of the [National Construction Code] across the country. They form a coherent package. They would best be implemented in their entirety.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In NSW, the <a href="https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/451375/Response-to-Shergold-Weir-Building-Confidence-Report.pdf">published response</a> to Shergold-Weir is a patchwork focusing on holding people to account after a building construction event. This is the reverse of the proactive approach developed following the Great Fire of London. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-opal-a-10-point-plan-to-fix-the-residential-building-industry-110975">Beyond Opal: a 10-point plan to fix the residential building industry</a>
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<p>The NSW government is set to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/biggest-shake-up-in-building-laws-in-our-state-s-history-follows-opal-tower-debacle-20190210-p50wtd.html">appoint</a> a building commissioner to oversee qualifications and to review building documentation. </p>
<p>But this will likely not achieve much, unless the government commits to upskilling workers throughout the industry and backs up desktop audits by increasing direct inspections on site. Neither of these things appears to be part of its plan. </p>
<p>All governments must take an active role in fixing the defective regulatory regime they have created. If they can’t get on with this process in a timely way, we will need <a href="https://theconversation.com/royal-commission-take-three-construction-sector-still-lawless-23074">yet another</a> royal commission to sort it out. </p>
<p>The least Premier Berejiklian can do is to treat the Mascot Towers and Opal events in the same way the government treats natural disasters and provide housing assistance to residents who have been displaced through no fault of their own.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119000/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer had received funding from the Building and Construction Council to research defects in multi-unit housing. He is member of the Australian Institute of Architects and the Managing Director of ARINA, a consultancy engaged in strategic planning and architecture for the Higher Education sector. </span></em></p>Regulations that are meant to protect residents from building failures and fires have been found wanting. All governments must take responsibility for fixing the defective regime they created.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1133652019-04-30T20:13:09Z2019-04-30T20:13:09ZDon’t forget our future climate when tightening up building codes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267253/original/file-20190403-177175-irimbq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australia's new National Construction Code doesn't go far enough in preparing our built environment for climate change.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/skyscraper-glass-facades-on-bright-sunny-691685071">Sergey Molchenko/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Too often it takes a crisis to trigger changes in legislation and behaviour, when forward thinking, cooperation and future planning could have negated the risk in the first place. Australia’s building and construction industry is under the microscope and changes in the law are in the wind, due to situations that could have been avoided. These include the evacuation of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/22/sydney-opal-tower-report-finds-multiple-design-and-construction-faults">Sydney’s Opal building</a> and the fires in Melbourne’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/lacrosse-apartment-owners-win-5.7-million-cladding-fire-damages/10857060">Lacrosse tower</a> in 2014 and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/04/apartment-fire-in-melbournes-spencer-street-prompts-new-fears-over-cladding">Neo200</a> apartment building in February, both of which were <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">fuelled by combustable cladding</a>, as was the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/04/expert-lists-litany-of-serious-safety-breaches-at-grenfell-tower">2017 fire in London’s Grenfell Tower</a> that killed 72 people.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://aibs.com.au/Public/News/2018/ShergoldWeir.aspx">Shergold Weir report</a> made 24 recommendations to improve the National Construction Code to ensure compliance, integrity and more. Commissioned by federal and state building ministers, the report was made public at the Australian Building Ministers Forum in April 2018. But implementation has been too slow to prevent the problems in the Opal and Neo200 apartment buildings. And it included no changes to climate-proof buildings.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">Australia has a new National Construction Code, but it's still not good enough</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>A new National Construction Code comes into effect on May 1. Recent events have, however, exposed inadequate construction standards and increased public pressure for further change. This presents an opportunity to future-proof our cities as well as restore public confidence in our construction industry. </p>
<p>Construction codes were created to eliminate “worse practice”, but we are now in a position to make them “best practice”. Importantly, we must prepare for climate change. Australia is increasingly <a href="https://theconversation.com/state-of-the-climate-2018-bureau-of-meteorology-and-csiro-109001">experiencing more extreme weather patterns</a>, but are we ready? </p>
<p>The legislative overhaul must also include building sustainability and higher performance requirements. A low-to-zero-carbon future must be part of the picture. </p>
<p>Construction code changes are needed urgently, not just for increased safety, but to ensure future urban developments:</p>
<ul>
<li>are ready for higher energy demands to cool and heat buildings</li>
<li>are designed to maximise sun and shade at the appropriate times to cool and warm both building and street</li>
<li>use materials that reflect heat for hot climates and absorb it for cooler ones</li>
<li>maximise insulation to reduce energy use</li>
<li>provide enough green space to give shade, produce oxygen and sustain a healthy environment</li>
<li>use water features to cool common and public areas</li>
<li>install smart technology to monitor and manage buildings and precincts. </li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-climate-changes-the-way-we-build-homes-must-change-too-110969">As climate changes, the way we build homes must change too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Many leading developers are taking the initiative to ensure projects include high-performance, zero-carbon, highly energy-efficient buildings, with top star ratings, but action needs to be across the board. This can only be done via tough legislation and enforced compliance. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.estate.unsw.edu.au/tyree-energy-technologies-building-sustainable-energy-research">University of NSW’s Tyree Building</a> is an excellent example of a high-performance building, as is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/nov/11/sydneys-one-central-park-wins-international-best-tall-building-award">One Central Park, Sydney</a>, which features hanging gardens and an internal water recycling plant. But its most striking feature is its “heliostat”, a large array of mirrors that reflect sunlight to areas that would otherwise be in shadow.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/268939/original/file-20190412-76853-c1hpmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One Central Park.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sydneynsw-australia-november-11-2018-one-1241796475?src=5L0MWCPfwZutKPBFIwkc4g-1-7">SAKARET/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Around the world, high-performance buildings are on the increase, such as <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/singapore_takes_the_lead_in_green_building_in_asia">313@Somerset</a> in the heart of Singapore, and the <a href="http://nirman.com/blog/2016/08/31/cii-sohrabji-godrej-green-business-center-hyderabad-a-guiding-light/">Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre</a> in Hyderabad – India’s first <a href="http://leed.usgbc.org/leed.html">Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)</a> platinum-rated building. There are many more.</p>
<h2>Changing the law</h2>
<p>New building standards and compliance are required to ensure high-performance buildings are the norm, not the exception. The construction industry should fulfil a “cradle to cradle” objective for materials. This means accounting for:</p>
<ul>
<li>where materials come from</li>
<li>how materials are made</li>
<li>safety levels</li>
<li>carbon component</li>
<li>recyclability at demolition.</li>
</ul>
<p>Laws covering low-carbon building design are imperative, setting standards for geography, maximising natural light, air flow, insulation and smart technology. Technology can monitor and run a building’s utilities to ensure it’s not only energy-efficient but also delivers a health standard that’s adaptable to the future pressures of climate change.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/green-buildings-must-do-more-to-fix-our-climate-emergency-110241">Green buildings must do more to fix our climate emergency</a>
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<h2>Sustainable buildings are achievable now</h2>
<p>Current know-how makes all this achievable. Over the past seven years the <a href="http://www.lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/">Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living</a> and its industry partners have funded research into most low-to-zero-carbon aspects of the built environment. This has led to many recommendations in reports like <a href="https://www.asbec.asn.au/research-items/built-perform/">Built to Perform</a>, produced by the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council. </p>
<p>The many research projects include:</p>
<ul>
<li>17 living laboratories providing cutting-edge data</li>
<li>creating low-carbon communities</li>
<li>developing tools to measure carbon outputs, from materials to services</li>
<li>studying the effects of heatwaves in Western Sydney and ways to cool cities</li>
<li>research into low-carbon concrete made of fly ash. </li>
</ul>
<p>This plethora of data reveals that sustainable cities and precincts are achievable, while providing for a growing communities. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-blockchain-can-democratize-green-power-87861">Blockchain and solar technology</a>, for example, is now proven for managing a precinct’s energy needs and can help turn energy users into providers. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-bitcoin-how-blockchains-can-empower-communities-to-control-their-own-energy-supply-99411">Beyond Bitcoin: how blockchains can empower communities to control their own energy supply</a>
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<p>Although we are more global than ever, online and social media have in turn made us locally focused. We can know what’s going on in our street at a click and this technology is applicable to the operation of our future, sustainable cities.</p>
<p>We have the data, expertise, tools and knowledge to make safe, low-to-zero-carbon cities part of our future. But there’s much work to do. We still need to implement this knowledge, use the tools, change behaviour and instil 100% trust in the design and construction process. There’s no time to waste.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113365/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deo Prasad is the CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living and receives funding from Federal and State governments for Low Carbon independent research for industry and government use.</span></em></p>Fires and building failures highlighted serious gaps in Australian building regulations. But recent revisions and recommendations still fall short of preparing our buildings for climate change.Deo Prasad, Scientia Professor and CEO, Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1131152019-04-09T20:03:20Z2019-04-09T20:03:20ZHousing with buyer protection and no serious faults – is that too much to ask of builders and regulators?<p>Regulation of the Australian building industry is broken, according to the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/building-confidence-building-ministers-forum-expert-assessment">Shergold-Weir report</a> to the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/regulation-and-standards/building-and-construction/building-ministers-forum">Building Ministers’ Forum</a> (BMF). </p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] we have concluded that [the] nature and extent [of problems] are significant and concerning. The problems have led to diminishing public confidence that the building and construction industry can deliver compliant, safe buildings which will perform to the expected standards over the long term. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>You can say that again. </p>
<p>Just one of the issues identified in the report, combustible cladding, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/hit-list-identifies-10000-potential-grenfellstyle-buildings/news-story/65aaf99088ead16bd3e0947a6e242770">could affect over 1,000 buildings across Australia</a>. An unknown proportion of these are tall (four storey and above) residential strata buildings. Fears of rectification costs are starting to have <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/melbourne-apartment-buildings-face-extra-scrutiny-over-combustible-cladding-20190205-h1avoi">severe impacts on the apartment market</a>. </p>
<p>The cost of replacing combustible panels at the Lacrosse Apartments in Melbourne, which caught fire in 2014, will be <a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">at least A$5.7 million, plus A$6 million or so in consequential damages</a>. The total cost of replacing combustible panels across Australia is unknown at this point, but is likely to run to billions of dollars. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">Lacrosse fire ruling sends shudders through building industry consultants and governments</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/building-confidence-building-ministers-forum-expert-assessment">Shergold-Weir report</a> identifies a catalogue of other problems, including water leaks, structurally unsound roof construction and poorly constructed fire-resisting elements. Faults appear to be widespread. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/documents/44/Governing_the_Compact_City_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf">2012 study by UNSW City Futures</a> surveyed 1,020 strata owners across New South Wales and found 72% of respondents (85% in buildings built since 2000) knew of at least one significant defect in their complex. Fixing these problems will cost billions more. </p>
<p>Regulatory failures are not only “diminishing public confidence”, they have a direct impact on the hip pockets of many Australians who own a residential apartment. In short, building defects resulting from lax regulation are a multi-billion dollar disaster. </p>
<h2>How could authorities let this happen?</h2>
<p>A web of regulations and standards enacted by governments cover construction in Australia, but this regulation is centred on the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/About">National Construction Code</a> (NCC). The <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/ABCB/The-Board">Australian Building Codes Board</a> (ABCB), a body controlled by the Building Ministers’ Forum, manages the NCC. The ABCB board comprises appointed representatives from the Commonwealth plus all the states and territories and a few industry groups. </p>
<p>It is such a complicated system that it is hard to identify any government, organisation or person that is directly responsible for its performance. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-has-a-new-national-construction-code-but-its-still-not-good-enough-113729">Australia has a new National Construction Code, but it's still not good enough</a>
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<p>The NCC is supposed to create “benefits to society that outweigh costs” but it appears the ABCB may have been more focused on the need to “consider the competitive effects of regulation” and “not be unnecessarily restrictive” (Introduction to NCC Volume 1).</p>
<p>The BMF’s <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/bmf-communique-8-february-2019.pdf">February 8 communique</a>, issued <em>after</em> the <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/bmf-communique-8-february-2019.pdf">fire in the Neo200 building</a> in Melbourne, is straight out of the Yes Minister playbook:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ministers agreed in principle to a national ban on the unsafe use of combustible ACPs (aluminium composite panels) in new construction, subject to a cost/benefit analysis being undertaken on the proposed ban, including impacts on the supply chain, potential impacts on the building industry, any unintended consequences, and a proposed timeline for implementation. Ministers will further consider this at their next meeting [in May this year].</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This suggests the ministers are more concerned about possible impacts on the panel suppliers and the building industry than the consumer. The earliest a ban can take effect is in May. In the meantime, anecdotal evidence suggests buildings are still being clad in combustible ACP.</p>
<p>Thanks to the journalist Michael Bleby, we know <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/governments-failed-to-act-on-warnings-of-combustible-cladding-dangers-20190226-h1br6n">governments and the ABCB failed to act in 2010</a> when presented with evidence that combustible ACP was not only a danger, but was also being widely used on tall residential buildings. </p>
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<p>Bleby quoted ABCB general manager Neil Savery as saying neither his organisation, nor any of the states, was aware that builders were using the product incorrectly.</p>
<p>We also know that panel manufacturers, including the Australian supplier of Alucobond, actively lobbied building ministers. At the July 2011 BMF meeting, the ACT representative effectively vetoed an ABCB proposal to issue an advisory note on the use of combustible ACP. </p>
<p>We are entitled to ask why the ABCB and its staff, or the downstream regulators and their staff, did not know about serious fire problems with ACP that the technical press <a href="http://www.cookeonfire.com/pdfs/eurisolgreenreport.pdf">identified as long ago as 2000</a>.
The answer will be of particular interest to residents of tall apartment buildings clad in these panels, all of whom are now living with an active threat to their safety. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">Cladding fire risks have been known for years. Lives depend on acting now, with no more delays</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Consumers are owed better protection</h2>
<p>While both Labor and Coalition governments have worked to improve consumer protection for people buying consumer goods, their record on housing, particularly apartments, is awful. While a consumer can be reasonably sure of getting restitution if they buy a faulty fridge, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/victims-suffer-as-combustible-cladding-crisis-rages-on-20190402-p519yy.html">no such certainty exists if they buy a faulty house or apartment</a>. </p>
<p>At the moment, the NCC does not have any focus on providing protection for buyers of houses or apartments. There are few requirements for the durability of components and astonishingly weak requirements for waterproofing. Under the NCC and its attached Australian Standards, particularly AS 4654.1 and 2-2012, a waterproof membrane could last, in practice, five minutes or 50 years. </p>
<p>Given the magnitude of the economic loss, it would be appropriate for the BMF and ABCB board to publicly admit they have failed. Since their appointments in November 2017 and January 2013 respectively, neither ABCB chair John Fahey nor Savery as general manager has remedied the situation. The Shergold-Weir report has not been implemented and the combustible cladding issues remain unresolved. It would be reasonable for Fahey to step down and for Savery to consider his future. </p>
<p>The next federal government should consider what further action should be taken, particularly in relation to individuals on the BMF and within the ABCB involved in the 2010-2011 decision not to issue the proposed advisory note on the use of ACP. Since the ABCB does not publish minutes and none of its deliberations are in the public domain no one knows what actually happened or who did what. </p>
<p>The new board should consider moving residential apartment buildings (Class 2 buildings in the NCC classification) from Volume 1 of the NCC to Volume 2, which controls detached and semi-detached housing. Volume 2 should then have as its overriding objective the protection of consumers. </p>
<p>The downstream regulators should focus on requiring builders to deliver residential buildings with no serious faults and providing simple mechanisms for redress if they don’t. </p>
<p>Surely this is not too much to ask. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated to correct a reference to NCC volumes 1 and 2 – the latter controls detached and semi-detached housing.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113115/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Years of regulatory failure are having direct impacts on the hip pockets of the many Australians who bought defective houses or apartments. It’s turning into a multibillion-dollar disaster.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1137292019-04-08T20:07:10Z2019-04-08T20:07:10ZAustralia has a new National Construction Code, but it’s still not good enough<p>After a three-year cycle of industry comment, review and revision, May 1 marks the adoption of a new <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/About">National Construction Code</a> (NCC). Overseen by the <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/ABCB/The-Board">Australian Building Codes Board</a> (ABCB), the code is the nation’s defining operational document of building regulatory provisions, standards and performance levels. Its <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/About">mission statement</a> is to provide the minimum necessary requirements for safety and health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability in the design, construction, performance and liveability of new buildings.</p>
<p>Some say the building industry is in <a href="https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/construction-crisis-no-minister-its-broken-try-an-iron-clad-mandated-warranty-instead/">deep crisis and broken</a>, that even our entire building regulatory system is not fit for purpose. Consider what has happened, <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/what-are-australias-other-defective-towers-aside-from-sydneys-opal-tower-20190102-h19n02">particularly in residential construction</a>. We have had buildings <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">burning</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/biggest-shake-up-in-building-laws-in-our-state-s-history-follows-opal-tower-debacle-20190210-p50wtd.html">cracking</a>, windows exploding, <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/forward-planning/investment-strategy/property-news-and-insights/83308-vue-on-king-william-adelaide-cbd-owners-hot-under-the-collar.html">rooms with intolerable heat stress</a>, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-23/opal-tower-residents-face-long-wait-for-repair-work/10842504">rendered unfit for occupation</a> without <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/12/it-could-take-two-years-to-replace-flammable-cladding-in-melbourne-says-building-authority">costly remedial action</a>, class <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-08/residents-furious-builder-sued-combustible-cladding/10214570">actions against developers</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">multi-million-dollar court judgments</a> against consultants and builders. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-opal-a-10-point-plan-to-fix-the-residential-building-industry-110975">Beyond Opal: a 10-point plan to fix the residential building industry</a>
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<p>What have reforms to the old Building Code of Australia (BCA), now the NCC, delivered? Is the new code good enough? </p>
<p>Well, how do you measure performance? We should think in terms of lives saved, <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-how-can-extreme-heat-lead-to-death-91480">heat stroke</a> minimised, costly remedial works avoided, <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-hot-to-sleep-heres-why-11492">less sleep deprivation</a> and climate-induced respiratory issues, <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-just-leave-it-to-the-ndis-to-create-cities-that-work-to-include-people-with-disability-93419">disability access</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-housings-expensive-right-not-when-you-look-at-the-whole-equation-60056">less bill shock for the vulnerable</a>, and housing that is built to allow <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australians-to-have-the-choice-of-growing-old-at-home-here-is-what-needs-to-change-91488">ageing in place</a>. </p>
<h2>Safety and amenity</h2>
<p>Widespread use of non-compliant building materials, and specifically combustible cladding, has been foremost in the minds of regulators. Three years ago, after the <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/sitecollectiondocuments/mbs-report-lacrosse-fire.pdf">Lacrosse fire in Melbourne Docklands</a>, the ABCB amended the existing code. This crucial revision has been <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Education-Training/Fire-performance-of-external-walls-and-cladding">carried forward into the new code</a>.</p>
<p>Individually, states have acted on the findings of a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Non-conforming45th/Report">Senate inquiry</a> into this area. Last October, for example, Queensland enacted the <a href="http://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/construction/BuildingPlumbing/Building/Pages/NonConformingBuildingProducts.aspx">Building and other Legislation (Cladding) Amendment Regulation 2018</a>.</p>
<p>Investigations into the highly publicised, structurally unsound Opal tower in Sydney found the design – namely the connections between the beams and the columns on level 10 and level 4, the two floors with significant damage — indicated “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-16/opal-tower-investigation-what-the-report-actually-says/10717830">factors of safety lower than required by standards</a>”.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Opal Tower report finds “construction issues”.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Just two months ago when the new code was released in preview form, we learnt that a significant number of approved CodeMarks used to certify compliance for a range of building materials are under recall. The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors <a href="https://aibs.com.au/Public/News/2019/20190220_CodeMark_Certificates_Withdrawn.aspx">posted urgent advice</a>: “We are in the process of making enquiries with the ABCB and Building Ministers to find out when they were made aware that these certificates were withdrawn and what the implications for members will be […] and owners of properties that have been constructed using these products.”</p>
<p>Fire safety concerns are driving changes in the code. The new NCC has extended the provision of fire sprinklers to lower-rise residential buildings, generally 4-8 storeys. However, non-sprinkler protection is still permitted where other fire safety measures meet the deemed minimum acceptable standard. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">Lacrosse fire ruling sends shudders through building industry consultants and governments</a>
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<h2>Comfort and health</h2>
<p>The code includes new heating and cooling load limits. However, requirements for overall residential energy efficiency have not been increased. The 6-star minimum introduced in the 2010 NCC remains. </p>
<p>The code has just begun to respond to the problem of dwellings that are being constructed to comply but which <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27432732">perform very poorly in the peaks of summer</a> and winter and <a href="http://www.thrive-research.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Living-Well-Report-Final-for-issue-080317.pdf">against international minimum standards</a>. The change in the code deals with only the very worst houses – no more than 5% of designs with the highest heating loads and 5% with the highest cooling loads.</p>
<p>It’s a concern that the climate files used to assess housing thermal performance use 40-year-old BOM data. Off the back of record hot and dry summers, readers in such places as Adelaide and Perth might be surprised to learn the ABCB designates their climate as “<a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Education-Training/Energy-Efficiency-NCC-Volume-Two">the mildest region</a>”.</p>
<p>For well over a decade my colleagues and I have researched thermal performance, comfort and health and improvements by regulation. Our <a href="http://anzasca.net/paper/investigating-equivalence-in-compliance-pathways-to-australian-housing-energy-efficiency/">recent paper</a>, based on a small <a href="http://www.nathers.gov.au/newsletters/issue-2-june-2016/nathers-news">sample of South Australian houses built between 2013 and 2016</a>, demonstrated what has been discussed anecdotally in hushed voices across the industry, that a building can <a href="http://anzasca.net/paper/investigating-equivalence-in-compliance-pathways-to-australian-housing-energy-efficiency/">fail minimum standards using one particular compliance option yet pass as compliant using a different pathway</a>. </p>
<p>A building that is not six stars can be built under the new code. In fact, it may have no stars! </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/construction-industry-loophole-leaves-home-buyers-facing-higher-energy-bills-82378">Construction industry loophole leaves home buyers facing higher energy bills</a>
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<p>Lamentably, there has been no national evidenced-based evaluation (let alone international comparison) of the measured effectiveness of the 6-star standard. CSIRO did carry out a <a href="https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/pub?pid=csiro:EP1312595">limited evaluation</a> of the older 5-star standard (dating back to 2005). An <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Consultation/Energy-Action-Modelling-and-Sensitivity-Analysis">evaluation for commercial buildings</a> is available from the ABCB website. </p>
<h2>Accessibility and liveability</h2>
<p>Volume 2 of the NCC covers housing and here it is business as usual, although the ABCB has released an <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Resources/Publications/Consultation/Accessible-Housing-Options-Paper">options paper</a> on proposals that might be part of future codes. Accessible housing <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/Initiatives/All/Accessible-Housing">is treated as a discrete project</a>. Advocates for code changes in this area, such as the <a href="https://anuhd.org/">Australian Network for Universal Housing Design</a> (ANUHD), have written to the ABCB expressing disappointment.</p>
<p>A Regulation Impact Assessment on the costs and benefits of applying a minimum accessibility standard to all new housing has yet to see the light of day. </p>
<p>These proposals or “options” talk of silver and gold levels of design (there is no third-prize bronze option for liveable housing). Codes of good practice in accessible design have for decades recommended such measures.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-housing-standards-are-failing-its-ageing-population-51460">Australia's housing standards are failing its ageing population</a>
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<h2>It’s all about performance</h2>
<p>Some argue that deep-seated problems have developed from a code that favours innovation and cost reduction over consumer protection. There is a cloud over the industry and over some provisions – or should we say safeguards and compliance? </p>
<p>Safety should not be a matter of good luck or depend on an accidental selection of a particular building material or system. New buildings born of this new code are hardly likely to differ measurably from their troublesome older siblings. The anxiety for insurers, regulators and building owners continues.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073">Cladding fires expose gaps in building material safety checks. Here's a solution</a>
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<p>The National Construction Code adopts a performance-based approach to building regulation, but don’t expect the sales consultant to know the <a href="http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing">U-value</a> of the windows, whether the doors are hung to allow for disabled access, or if the cleat on your tie beam is to Australian standards. </p>
<p>Anyone can propose changes to the NCC. The form is on the website. Consultants will be hired to model costs and benefits. </p>
<p>Regulatory reforms introduced through the ABCB over the past 20 years have produced an <a href="http://www.thecie.com.au/?page_id=379">estimated annual national economic benefit of A$1.1 billion</a>. That’s a lot of money! The owners of failing residential buildings could do with some of that cash to cover losses and legal fees.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113729/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Timothy O'Leary has received past funding from the Australian Research Council and the State Government of South Australia for research in housing energy performance, energy disclosure and housing lifetime affordability.
Dr O' Leary holds an unpaid position as a Program Advisory Group member of the Victorian Government, Residential Efficiency Scorecard and contributes in a non paid advisory role to the National Energy Efficient Buildings Project (NEPP), stakeholder reference group convened by the Australian Department of Environment and Energy.</span></em></p>Under the new code, buildings are hardly likely to differ measurably from their fault-ridden older siblings and can still fall short of a six-star rating. It’s possible they may have no stars!Timothy O'Leary, Lecturer in Construction and Property, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1109692019-03-12T20:50:21Z2019-03-12T20:50:21ZAs climate changes, the way we build homes must change too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260004/original/file-20190220-148517-e2p3m3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">About 100 homes in Angus, Ont. were damaged by a tornado in June 2014. Ten lost their roofs and had to be demolished.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gregory Alan Kopp, Western University</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The impacts of floods, wildfires and other catastrophic events are on the rise in Canada. They’re already costing the country billions of dollars in losses, which <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4785907/jonathan-vance-canadian-forces-natural-disasters/">only stand to grow</a> in the coming years. </p>
<p>The Canadian insurance industry defines a catastrophic event as one that exceeds a threshold of $25 million in insured losses — the portion covered by private insurance. Insurance claims due to extreme weather reached <a href="https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/british-columbia-windstorm-cost-insurers-37-million-for-losses-homes-businesses-vehicles/122725">$1.9 billion in 2018</a>, including the late December wind storm on British Columbia’s south coast that downed trees and powerlines, and damaged more than 3,000 homes.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/263446/original/file-20190312-86696-dv3yte.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Insured catastrophic losses in Canada. All figures in 2018 dollars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Insurance Bureau of Canada</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>These costs have come close to, or exceeded, $1 billion in most years since 2009. They surpassed $1.5 billion in 2011, $3 billion in 2013 and $4.9 billion in 2016. In the past decade, the sum of all severe weather-related catastrophic events in Canada topped $17 billion. </p>
<p>These numbers, however, are only the tip of the iceberg. </p>
<h2>Who pays for disaster damage?</h2>
<p>In many western industrialized countries, <a href="https://riskandinsurance.com/critical-coverage-gap/">only about 40 per cent of disaster damages are insured</a>. This means that citizens absorb the lion’s share of damage costs in the form of insurance deductibles, costs not covered by insurance such as lost work days and higher prices passed on by businesses. </p>
<p>Taxpayers also fund government disaster assistance, which topped <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/vltn-dsstr-fnncl-ssstnc-2016-17/index-en.aspx#fn39-rf/">$1.02 billion in 2013-2014</a>. Between 2009 and 2015, the federal government provided <a href="http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/docs/parl_cesd_201605_02_e.pdf">$3.3 billion in recovery funding, more in those six years than in the first 39 fiscal years of the program combined</a>. </p>
<p>As people place more assets in harm’s way, existing public infrastructure ages and climate change impacts increase in the decades ahead, these large losses will only worsen. </p>
<h2>Modern building codes key to resilience</h2>
<p>The solution to the challenge of building societal resilience involves fostering a “whole of society” approach that includes academia, private industry, all levels of government and property owners to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters on society.</p>
<p>One of the weakest links in the chain is the lack of resiliency built into homes. Building codes represent the minimum legal requirements for house construction and do not take extremes into consideration.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, academics have paid scant attention to the home building industry and the building codes that guide the construction of <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-630-x/11-630-x2015007-eng.htm">thousands of houses per year</a>. A new collaboration between researchers at Carleton University and Western University’s <a href="https://www.iclr.org/">Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction</a> aims to promote the construction of disaster resilient homes that can weather the changing climate.</p>
<p>Since their origins in the 1940s, <a href="https://www.chba.ca/CHBA/HousingCanada/Building_Codes/CHBA/Housing_in_Canada/Building_Codes.aspx?hkey=2d428ccc-8b74-4a83-bfc8-ff20b307a367">Canadian building codes</a> have existed primarily to keep people healthy and safe. Building codes have since grown into large, complex technical documents that govern numerous aspects of house construction. In light of the recent impacts of severe weather and wildfire, both <a href="https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/ibc-congratulates-federal-government-national-research-council-decision-update-canadas-building-codes-1004109525/">insurance companies</a> and the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3276145/building-codes-changes-climate-change/">federal government</a> agree that building codes could better incorporate disaster risk. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/262937/original/file-20190308-155523-1yamcol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A wildfire burns on a mountain near Cache Creek, B.C. on Jul. 10, 2017.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But what is a “resilient home?” Resilient homes are built to withstand extremes, such as heavy rainstorms, wildfires and severe wind. They are better than those “built to code.” </p>
<p>The combination of strong building codes that reflect current knowledge and rigorous inspection regimes leads to far less <a href="https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1516812817859-9f866330bd6a1a93f54cdc61088f310a/MS2_2017InterimReport.pdf">injury, loss of life and property damage</a> from severe weather (and earthquakes). </p>
<h2>The seeds have been planted</h2>
<p>There is more interest in reducing disaster risk now than ever before. Several federally funded projects are now looking at different types of floods, wildland fires and future climate data, in part so that builders construct homes to be more resilient. </p>
<p>But change is slow due to the rigorous code development process. Code officials are planning to include resilience upgrades in the National Building Code in 2025. According to our research, change is also slow due to resistance from the building industry that, in many instances, remains sceptical that construction practices need to change. Many builders and building trade associations believe that the current code is adequate to address the threat of severe weather.</p>
<p>But the costs and disruption from severe weather events speak for themselves. Current and future damages are unacceptable when weighed against <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/06/20/could_angus_tornado_damage_have_been_prevented.html">small changes in construction practices</a> such as extra fasteners that secure roofs in high winds, $150 backwater valves that keep sewage out of basements during extreme rainfall events and fire resilient siding that is often close to the same price as more flammable options.</p>
<p>The home building industry knows how to innovate. In response to public and political demands for carbon-cutting measures, <a href="https://www.chba.ca/CHBA/BuyingNew/Net-Zero-Homes.aspx/">new housing is dramatically more energy efficient</a> than it was even just a decade ago. </p>
<p>Builders now face another challenge: adding resiliency to homes so that they withstand severe weather. In many cases, we know what needs to be done to make homes more resilient, but face objections from some groups who need to be onside to make this happen. </p>
<p>The challenge is amplified by homeowners and voters <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-may-5-2017-1.4099475/canadian-homeowners-in-the-dark-about-flood-risks-study-suggests-1.4099513">who don’t seem aware of risk</a> and who are not giving clear direction on climate change to politicians and builders.</p>
<p>All of society must acknowledge growing risk and act to protect our homes — and those who live in them — now and in the future by recognising the science behind changing weather and by accepting responsibility for making new homes safer.</p>
<p><em>This is a corrected version of a story originally published on Mar. 12, 2019. The earlier story said the federal government had provided $3.3 billion in recovery funding between 1999 and 2015, instead of 2009 and 2015</em>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110969/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gary Martin holds a one-year Mitacs grant to study the process of changing Canadian building codes to make houses more resilient to severe weather. He is funded in part by the Federal and Ontario governments, and in part by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, an insurance industry-sponsored research organization. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glenn McGillivray is Managing Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, an independent not-for-profit research institute that is funded by the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry to reduce the impacts of severe weather and earthquakes on people and property in Canada. ICLR is a research institute of Western University, London, Canada.</span></em></p>Weather-related catastrophic events have cost Canadians more than $17 billion in the past decade. That only stands to grow, unless building codes change to make homes more resilient.Gary Martin, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Sprott School of Business, Carleton UniversityGlenn McGillivray, Managing Director, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1127772019-03-04T19:03:13Z2019-03-04T19:03:13ZLacrosse fire ruling sends shudders through building industry consultants and governments<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/261789/original/file-20190303-110140-1tsk03c.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Flames spread rapidly up the external wall cladding at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne in November 2014. More than four years on, the combustible panels are still in use.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.mfb.vic.gov.au/media/docs/post_incident_analysis_for_lacrosse_docklands_-_25_11_2014%20-%20final-dd61c4b2-61f6-42ed-9411-803cc23e6acc-0.pdf">MFB</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On the last day of summer for 2019, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) delivered a burst of sunshine to apartment owners at the high-rise Lacrosse building in the Melbourne Docklands precinct. Lacrosse suffered a serious cladding fire on November 24 2014, started by a single cigarette on a balcony. Last Thursday, Judge Ted Woodward <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-28/lacrosse-apartment-owners-win-5.7-million-cladding-fire-damages/10857060">ordered the owners be immediately paid A$5.7 million in damages</a>.</p>
<p>The judge also indicated that the owners would receive most of the balance of their A$12.7 million claim – including nearly A$6 million in calculated costs of compliance with building codes.</p>
<p>However, in our adversarial legal system, there are losers as well as winners. The losers in this case are the fire engineer, the certifier and the architects. </p>
<p>The builder, LU Simon, was ordered to pay more than A$5.7 million to apartment owners. However, the architect, fire engineer and building certifier who worked on the project would pay most of that to LU Simon after Judge Woodward found they had breached contractual obligations.</p>
<p>Fire engineer Thomas Nicholas was ordered to pay 39% of the damages, certifier Gardner Group 35% and architects Elenberg Fraser 25%. Incredibly, the builder, LU Simon, is a winner, assessed to pay only 3% of the damages. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">Cladding fire risks have been known for years. Lives depend on acting now, with no more delays</a>
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<p>So shocking is the <a href="https://www.vcat.vic.gov.au/resources/owners-corporation-no1-of-ps613436t-owners-corporation-no-2-of-ps613436t-owners">VCAT decision</a> to architects that the national president of the Australian Institute of Architects suggested in an email to members last Friday that they might need to seek counselling. </p>
<p>The decision reminds architects and other consultants that abiding by common practice is no defence if that practice is inadequate. Even though an architect may work for the builder and be employed on a limited commission during construction, they still bear primary responsibility for the safety of the building as the “lead consultant”. According to the decision, architects and consultants are required to exercise high standards of professional judgement and skill even if their commissioning arrangements and fees militate this. </p>
<h2>So is this a win for all owners?</h2>
<p>It looks like a cause for celebration by the owners. But is it?</p>
<p>Well, for a start, this decision has taken over four years to emerge. It may yet be the subject of an appeal. In the meantime, owners and residents have had to live in a building that is not safe, although work to replace the cladding should be complete by May. </p>
<p>Judge Woodward said the decision applies to the specific circumstances of Lacrosse only, so the owners of other buildings, including <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-04/spencer-street-apartment-fire-melbourne/10776018">Neo200, which was evacuated on February 4</a> after a similar fire, might not also be in the winner’s circle. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-overlook-residents-role-in-apartment-building-safety-111255">Don't overlook residents' role in apartment building safety</a>
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<p>Fourteen of the Neo200 apartments are so badly damaged that <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/some-neo-200-residents-told-to-expect-year-long-wait-before-they-return-20190215-p50y26.html">rectification works could take up to a year to complete</a>. If Lacrosse is any indication, the Neo200 legal case might take until 2022 to conclude. </p>
<p>The Lacrosse case ran for 22 days, involved five QCs, five juniors and an army of instructing solicitors, paralegals and expert witnesses. There were 91 volumes of documents tendered as evidence. Legal costs almost certainly exceeded A$2 million, or more than 15% of the damages sought. </p>
<p>Around the country, based on state audits, I estimate around 1,000 buildings have combustible aluminium composite panels on their facades. If they all generate a court case half as complex as Lacrosse, the legal bills alone could total over A$1 billion. </p>
<h2>Government must also answer for deregulation</h2>
<p>Those who eased the regulatory framework in place in Australia since the late 1980s share culpability with the consultants for the fires at Lacrosse and Neo200. Until the early 1990s, Australian building codes prohibited the use of combustible elements on the facades of tall buildings. Throughout the 1990s, the then Building Code of Australia (now the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC">National Construction Code</a> or NCC) was relaxed to a “performance standard”, which allowed builders and consultants to believe aluminium composite panels and timber were permissible. </p>
<p>By 2000, despite plenty of evidence that these panels were combustible and therefore not suitable as facade material on tall buildings, the market for them continued to grow. The Australian Building Codes Board did nothing about this, encouraging a potentially fatal error. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073">Cladding fires expose gaps in building material safety checks. Here's a solution</a>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The ABC reports on the hidden potential killer in Australian buildings following the Lacrosse fire.</span></figcaption>
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<p>So far, on the regulatory side, no one has actually owned up to a mistake. However, the Building Ministers’ Forum is considering the 24 recommendations of a <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/data-and-publications/building-ministers-forum-expert-assessment-building-confidence">report it commissioned</a> from Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir. New South Wales’ minister for innovation and better regulation, Matt Kean, has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-30/opal-tower-damage-sparks-nsw-government-crackdown/10673968">promised to crack down on dodgy certifiers</a>. In the light of the cladding panel fiasco, he probably should be reviewing his own remit, which is based on the premise that less regulation is better. </p>
<p>The NCC has a goal to encourage innovation in building by allowing alternative solutions to “deemed to satisfy” provisions. Unfortunately, in the case of the cladding panels and other “innovations”, the cost savings may be only a tiny proportion of the costs of rectifying the problems. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-opal-a-10-point-plan-to-fix-the-residential-building-industry-110975">Beyond Opal: a 10-point plan to fix the residential building industry</a>
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<p>Penitent governments should ensure flammable cladding is replaced now, not next year and certainly not in five or six years’ time when another round of court cases are finally decided after appeal. Unless governments act to fix this mistake, one that they are substantially responsible for, someone is going to be killed in a cladding fire in Australia. </p>
<p>As Judith Hackitt, who headed the inquiry into the <a href="http://theconversation.com/grenfell-a-year-on-heres-what-we-know-went-wrong-98112">Grenfell Tower disaster</a>, said last week, a Grenfell-like event in Australia is “<a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/entirely-foreseeable-judith-hackitt-warns-of-grenfell-tragedy-in-australia-20190226-h1bqkw">entirely foreseeable</a>”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112777/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer is a member of the RAIA. ARINA had an association with Hayball, the Architects for Neo200 from 2013 to 2016. ARINA and Geoff Hanmer had no involvement in Hayball multi-unit residential projects during that time. </span></em></p>Architects, certifiers and engineers who work as consultants to builders are on notice about potential liability for the use of flammable cladding, but governments are also culpable for their actions.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1112552019-02-07T19:10:04Z2019-02-07T19:10:04ZDon’t overlook residents’ role in apartment building safety<p>For many of us, the reality of Australian homes now sits many storeys up in the sky. <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-and-diversity-apartments-are-australia-at-its-most-multicultural-97176">High-rise apartment buildings have sprouted across the nation’s cities</a>. In recent weeks – <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428">on Christmas Eve at the Opal Tower building in Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/04/apartment-fire-in-melbournes-spencer-street-prompts-new-fears-over-cladding">on February 4 at the Neo200 Building in Melbourne</a> – that reality has turned into the nightmare for hundreds of residents of being turned out of their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing.</p>
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<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">The big lesson from Opal Tower is that badly built apartments aren’t only an issue for residents</a></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073">Cladding fires expose gaps in building material safety checks. Here’s a solution</a></em></p>
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<p>The Opal Tower evacuation was <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/-/media/Files/DPE/Reports/Opal-Tower-Investigation-Draft-Interim-Report-2019-01-15.pdf">due to structural cracking</a>. At Neo200, a fire raced up the building, <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/combustible-cladding-main-contributor-to-melbournes-spencer-st-tower-fire-20190204-h1atix">fuelled by flammable cladding</a> on part of its facade. </p>
<p>The rapid spread of the fire, and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/cbd-tower-residents-forced-out-of-apartments-after-blaze-20190204-p50vlt.html">its apparent origin in a smouldering cigarette on the balcony</a>, was eerily reminiscent of the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/docklands-owners-sue-for-24m-over-fire-as-date-to-fix-cladding-looms-20180909-p502pc.html">Lacrosse building fire</a> in Melbourne in 2014. It also brings to mind the Grenfell Tower inferno in London (probably <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40301289">originating in a small electrical fire</a>). This catastrophe took the lives of 72 people and devastated the lives of many more.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/grenfell-a-year-on-heres-what-we-know-went-wrong-98112">Grenfell: a year on, here's what we know went wrong</a>
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<p>Media reports of the Neo200 fire included two concerning aspects:</p>
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<li><p><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/extra-fire-alarms-put-in-a-fortnight-before-blaze-ripped-through-tower-20190204-p50vjt.html">tenants had been unaware</a> the building was partially covered in combustible cladding</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.mfb.vic.gov.au/Media/docs/Post_Incident_Analysis_for_Lacrosse_Docklands_-_25_11_2014%20-%20FINAL-dd61c4b2-61f6-42ed-9411-803cc23e6acc-0.PDF">as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade found at Lacrosse</a>, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/same-as-grenfell-tower-cladding-fears-as-fire-rips-through-melbourne-cbd-apartment-building-20190204-p50vgl.html">smoke detectors had been covered</a>, rendering them inoperable.</p></li>
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<p>Such behaviours and lack of knowledge compromise critical safety-related equipment. This represents both a challenge to, and reinforcement of, the critical role of residents in ensuring high-rise buildings are safe. </p>
<p>In the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/707785/Building_a_Safer_Future_-_web.pdf">final report</a> of the post-Grenfell “Building a Safer Future” review for the UK government, Dame Judith Hackitt observed:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Residents need to be safe, and feel safe, in their homes … they also have a responsibility towards their fellow residents to ensure that their actions do not compromise the safety of the building. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Six elements of residential building safety</h2>
<p>The Hackitt Review joins a raft of reports that have influenced ongoing reform of residential construction regulations. In Victoria, notable recent contributions include the Auditor-General’s <a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/victorias-consumer-protection-framework-building-construction">2015 report</a> on the consumer protection framework, and <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf">Shergold and Weir’s 2018 report</a> for the Building Ministers’ Forum.</p>
<p>There is significant agreement between these reviews. Their vision for an effective regulatory scheme can be distilled into six elements, which need to interact holistically:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Information:</strong> all parties who have an influence on occupant safety need sufficient information about the risks in the building to make decisions consistent with protecting occupant safety.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Responsibility:</strong> while the “buck stops” with an adequately resourced regulator, all parties in the residential construction supply chain need to discharge clearly expressed, risk-based and complementary responsibilities.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Standards:</strong> people with appropriate expertise (for example, about how building materials interact) should set standards to be enforced throughout the supply chain.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Competence:</strong> where work requires particular skills and experience, only people who have these should do it.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Quality assurance:</strong> inspection regimes need to provide a robust “last line of defence” to catch defects before they threaten occupants’ safety.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Rectification:</strong> recognising that litigation is slow and expensive, dispute avoidance processes and insurance should expedite rectification.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The Victorian regulatory regime for residential construction mainly comprises the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/ltobjst10.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/FF534BFE5E1FF524CA2583150019BDAF/%24FILE/93-126a117.docx">Building Act 1993</a>, its recently updated <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/b12e276826f7c27fca256de50022686b/d6ce1ed4cf4cae14ca25833000014a82!OpenDocument">regulations</a>, the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC">National Construction Code</a> which underpins those regulations, and the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt10.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/513B8F096A77B1A7CA2583300080DA1F/%24FILE/95-91a084.docx">Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995</a>. Justifiably, much of the recent reform focus has been on the role of the regulator under element 2 – the Victorian Ombudsman’s <a href="https://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/Publications/Parliamentary-Reports/Own-motion-investigation-into-the-governance-and-a">2012 report</a> led to the Victorian Building Authority replacing the Victorian Building Commission – and elements 3-6. Contributors to The Conversation have, for example, noted:</p>
<ul>
<li>the difficulties of <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073">tracking compliant products throughout globalised supply chains</a> (element 3), and how technology can help overcome these challenges</li>
<li>the importance of enforcing competence (element 4) in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-opal-a-10-point-plan-to-fix-the-residential-building-industry-110975">ten-point plan to fix the residential building industry</a></li>
<li>scapegoating <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428">private building inspectors</a> (element 5), as happened after the Opal evacuation, attacks a symptom of the disease, rather than the inherent tension between cost and quality in residential construction.</li>
</ul>
<p>The regulatory response on each of these four elements remains a matter for ongoing debate. This is justified given that the performance-based nature of most standards-setting results in increased competence requirements.</p>
<h2>What about the role of residents?</h2>
<p>The Neo200 experience highlights, however, that the role of residents can be underestimated. In particular, where regulatory elements 1 and 2 refer to “parties”, this very much includes dwelling occupants and others who enter these buildings. It also includes the designers, builders and other construction professionals who are the primary concern of elements 3-6.</p>
<p>Given the diverse ways in which people visit, live or work in high-rise buildings, it will always be a challenge to devise ways to make sure occupants:</p>
<ul>
<li>have enough information to understand the risks of being in such buildings (whether or not there is combustible cladding)</li>
<li>act in ways that reflect their responsibility to keep themselves and their fellow residents safe. </li>
</ul>
<p>As recent moves in Victoria to <a href="https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/information-for-consumers-who-have-an-existing-pool-or-spa">register and inspect backyard pools and spas</a> arguably demonstrate, there seems to be robust community support for intruding into people’s homes where the safety risk is seen as high. Is it time, therefore, to mandate airline-style safety briefings in apartments, regular inspections of apartments to make sure smoke detectors are working, and other similar interventions? Certainly, a recognition of occupants as active stakeholders would suggest such measures are appropriate in pursuit of a deeply held community goal of dwelling safety.</p>
<p>As a society, though, are we ready for such state-based assaults on our homes – upon what the Kerrigans regarded as their “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/">castle</a>”? Time will tell. In the meantime, the residents of the Neo200 building – like those at the Opal building before them – are left searching for alternative accommodation, and for answers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111255/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Bell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As more and more Australians live and work in high-rise buildings, their responsibilities and roles in ensuring all occupants’ safety must not be neglected.Matthew Bell, Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Studies for Construction Law, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1109752019-02-04T19:16:50Z2019-02-04T19:16:50ZBeyond Opal: a 10-point plan to fix the residential building industry<p>The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-15/opal-tower-needs-significant-rectifiaction-work-report-finds/10713054">failure of the Opal Tower building</a> in Sydney has highlighted the poor quality of speculatively built multi-unit housing in Australia. The tower’s 392 apartments were evacuated on Christmas Eve when residents heard loud cracks and defects were found. So far, the only reaction from government has been a knee-jerk <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-30/opal-tower-damage-sparks-nsw-government-crackdown/10673968">promise to crack down on shonky building certifiers</a> (that’s you Matt Kean, minister for innovation and better regulation in New South Wales). Unfortunately, there is no evidence this will make any difference. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428">There are lessons to be drawn from the cracks that appeared in Sydney's Opal Tower, but they extend beyond building certification</a>
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<p>Planning policies embraced by the NSW and Victorian governments mean a greater percentage of new housing is being constructed in tall multi-unit developments than ever before, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. </p>
<p>Between <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/governing-the-compact-city-the-role-and-effectiveness-of-strata-management-in-higher-density-residential-developments/">50% and 80% of multi-unit buildings</a> have defects serious enough to be the subject of strata committee involvement. Possibly close to 100% have significant defects at completion. Most of the problems are waterproofing issues (which may not be evident for years), malfunctioning services or a lack of proper compliance with fire codes and standards. </p>
<p>We can only fix this problem by changing the <em>culture</em> of the residential building industry. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-big-lesson-from-opal-tower-is-that-badly-built-apartments-arent-only-an-issue-for-residents-109722">The big lesson from Opal Tower is that badly built apartments aren't only an issue for residents</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Ten steps governments can take</h2>
<p>We don’t need another royal commission. Governments could implement all of the suggestions below using their existing powers. </p>
<p>1) <strong>Increase density by permitting more subdivisions on existing housing blocks rather than building tall buildings.</strong> </p>
<p>Two <a href="https://www.reisa.com.au/publicinfo/general-tips-and-traps/torrens-title-explained">Torrens title</a> townhouses can be built on a normal single-house quarter-acre block. Low-scale buildings will still suffer from defects, but are less problematic to build, inspect and repair than tall buildings and use simpler technology. </p>
<p>2) <strong>In the short term, provide occupation certificates to new residential buildings taller than three storeys only if they comply with an enhanced protocol of regulations and oversight.</strong></p>
<p>State government would implement this, with a focus on waterproofing and fire performance. </p>
<p>A suitable code, standards and protocols could be developed in a few weeks. The necessary people to provide independent oversight could be drawn from qualified architects, builders and engineers who are able to pass a probing exam. They would be independent of the design and construction team. The government would fix their fees. </p>
<p>3) <strong>Develop a program to enhance the standards for residential building standards in the <a href="https://www.business.gov.au/planning/templates-and-tools/industry-factsheets/national-construction-code">National Construction Code</a> (NCC).</strong> </p>
<p>The current NCC codes for Class 2 buildings (home units) favour innovation and cost reduction over consumer protection. This is the wrong way around for housing. Section F, which covers health and amenity (including waterproofing), is weak and must be strengthened. </p>
<p>4) <strong>A voluntary quality scheme to star-rate <em>all</em> apartments, similar to <a href="https://www.ancap.com.au/about-ancap">ANCAP</a> (Australasia New Car Assessment Program), might work with industry support.</strong> </p>
<p>The minimum standard permissible would comply with the enhanced standards. The NSW Building and Construction Council promoted a scheme in the 1990s but failed due to lack of government support. It was a good idea then, and it is still a good idea now. </p>
<p>5) <strong>If the industry won’t support a voluntary scheme, government should introduce a coercive qualified practitioner (QP) scheme.</strong> </p>
<p>This would be a permanent version of the short-term scheme. If a building goes bad, the QP could lose the right to practise as a QP as well as being liable to the owners. </p>
<p>6) <strong>Revitalise trade training and certification to ensure all trade workers are properly trained and certified.</strong> </p>
<p>Many trades on building sites have no training and are not licensed. The requirement to read directions and document work against procedures means everyone on site must be functionally literate. The goal should be to have 30% of people working on site at Certificate 4 level by 2025. 100% of building workers should be literate by 2025. This should be a national requirement, checked by inspectors. </p>
<p>7) <strong>All leading hands for any trade should be educated up to Certificate 4 level.</strong></p>
<p>This should be independently verified to cut out shonky training providers. Leading hands in all trades should be licensed and responsible for the work they do. </p>
<p>8) <strong>Enhance licensing of builders and subcontractors to ensure people in charge on site are educated beyond Certificate 4.</strong> </p>
<p>All people occupying construction roles with management responsibility should have valid qualifications in architecture, structural engineering or building. </p>
<p>9) <strong>Consider additional laws on contract provisions to reduce the economic power disparity between developers, head contractors and subcontractors.</strong> </p>
<p>Unfair commercial pressures are at the heart of much bad building. We should do more to cushion the smaller players from the larger ones.</p>
<p>10) <strong>And, while we are at it, we should ensure a value-capture process accompanies the development of tall residential buildings so the cost of upgrading social infrastructure is recovered.</strong> </p>
<p>High-density, high-rise buildings massively increase loads on socially owned infrastructure, such as schools, libraries, hospitals, parks and sporting facilities. The developers of tall buildings should be made to contribute adequately to the economic cost of enhancing these provisions, which can involve solutions that are unusually expensive, such as high-rise schools. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-value-capture-and-what-does-it-mean-for-cities-58776">Explainer: what is ‘value capture’ and what does it mean for cities?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110975/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer has received funding from the Building and Construction Council (NSW). </span></em></p>While Opal Tower residents are more badly affected than most, up to 80% of multi-unit buildings have serious defects. Here’s what government can do right now to fix the industry.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, Univeristy of NSW, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1056522019-01-15T01:29:36Z2019-01-15T01:29:36ZBuildings produce 25% of Australia’s emissions. What will it take to make them ‘green’ – and who’ll pay?<p>In signing the Paris Climate Agreement, the Australian government <a href="https://www.climateworksaustralia.org/sites/default/files/documents/publications/summary_report_-_low_carbon_high_performance_20160511_1.pdf">committed to a global goal of zero net emissions by 2050</a>. Australia’s promised reductions to 2030, on a per person and emissions intensity basis, <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/factsheet-australias-2030-climate-change-target">exceed even the targets</a> set by the United States, Japan, Canada, South Korea and the European Union. </p>
<p>But are we on the right track to achieve our 2030 target of 26-28% below 2005 levels? With <a href="https://theconversation.com/factcheck-is-australias-population-the-highest-growing-in-the-world-96523">one of the highest population growth rates in the developed world</a>, this represents at <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/publications/factsheet-australias-2030-climate-change-target">least a 50% reduction in emissions per person over the next dozen years</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-is-not-on-track-to-reach-2030-paris-target-but-the-potential-is-there-102725">Australia is not on track to reach 2030 Paris target (but the potential is there)</a>
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<p>Consider the impact of one sector, the built environment. The construction, operation and maintenance of buildings accounts for almost a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318754386_From_leaders_to_majority_a_frontrunner_paradox_in_built-environment_climate_governance_experimentation">quarter of greenhouse gas emissions</a> in Australia. As Australia’s population grows, to an <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3222.0">estimated 31 million</a> in 2030, even more buildings will be needed. </p>
<p>In 2017, around <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8731.0">18,000 dwelling units were approved for construction every month</a>. Melbourne is predicted to need another <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbournes-continuing-population-boom-means-another-720000-homes-will-be-needed-by-2031/news-story/98872b3ab27f00891d50c694adba7abd">720,000 homes by 2031</a>; Sydney, <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/geo2.33">664,000 new homes within 20 years</a>. Australia will have <a href="https://ap01-a.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/delivery/61USOUTHAUS_INST/12143325290001831">10 million residential units by 2020</a>, compared to 6 million in 1990. Ordinary citizens might be too preoccupied with home ownership at any cost to worry about the level of emissions from the built environment and urban development.</p>
<h2>What’s being done to reduce these emissions?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC?pageNumber=1&searchTerm=&sort=&results=&generalParam=%7B%22applications%22:%5B%5D,%22years%22:%5B%22%7BC4166DCC-D939-41A9-855D-D66F2AACC2D3%7D%22%5D%7D">National Construction Code of Australia</a> sets <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652618304827">minimal obligatory requirements for energy efficiency</a>. Software developed by the National Housing Rating Scheme (<a href="http://www.nathers.gov.au/">NatHERS</a>) <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2093761X.2015.1025451?journalCode=tsub20">assesses compliance</a>. </p>
<p>Beyond mandatory minimum requirements in Australia are more aspirational voluntary measures. Two major measures are the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (<a href="https://www.nabers.gov.au/">NABERS</a>) and <a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTURBANDEVELOPMENT/Resources/336387-1256566800920/6505269-1268260567624/Mitchell.pdf">Green Star</a>. </p>
<p>This combination of obligatory and voluntary performance rating measures makes up the practical totality of our strategy for reducing built environment emissions. Still in its experimentation stage, it is <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/111568?mode=full">far from adequate</a>.</p>
<p>An effective strategy to cut emissions must <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259158759_Green_building_research-current_status_and_future_agenda_A_review">encompass the whole lifecycle</a> of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319123629_A_comparative_life_cycle_study_of_alternative_materials_for_Australian_multi-storey_apartment_building_frame_constructions_Environmental_and_economic_perspective">planning, designing, constructing</a>, operating and even decommissioning and disposal of buildings. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132317302937">holistic vision of sustainable building</a> calls for building <a href="https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29LA.1943-4170.0000123">strategies that are less resource-intensive and pollution-producing</a>. The <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/981">sustainability of the urban landscape</a> is <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=847972018939494;res=IELHSS">more than the sum of the sustainability of its component buildings</a>; transport, amenities, <a href="http://www.academia.edu/28437391/Comparison_of_sustainable_community_rating_tools_in_Australia">social fabric and culture</a>, among other factors, have to be taken into account. </p>
<p>Australia’s emission reduction strategy fails to incorporate the whole range of sustainability factors that impact emissions from the built environment. </p>
<p>There are also much-reported criticisms of existing mandatory and voluntary measures. A <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/geo2.33">large</a> <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2093761X.2015.1025451?journalCode=tsub20">volume</a> of <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/evaluation-5-star-energy-efficiency-standard-residential-buildings">research</a> details the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778817307648">failure</a> of voluntary measures to accurately evaluate energy performance and the granting of <a href="http://www.journalofgreenbuilding.com/doi/10.3992/jgb.11.2.131.1">misleading ratings based on tokenistic gestures</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/greenwashing-the-property-market-why-green-star-ratings-dont-guarantee-more-sustainable-buildings-91655">Greenwashing the property market: why 'green star' ratings don't guarantee more sustainable buildings</a>
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<p>On top of that, the strategy of using front runners to push boundaries and win over the majority has been proven ineffective, at best. We see compelling evidence in the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318754386_From_leaders_to_majority_a_frontrunner_paradox_in_built-environment_climate_governance_experimentation">low level of voluntary measures</a> permeating the Australian building industry. Some major voluntary rating tools have <a href="http://theconversation.com/green-building-revolution-only-in-high-end-new-cbd-offices-24535">penetration rates of less than 0.5%</a> across the Australian building industry. </p>
<p>As for obligatory tools, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2093761X.2015.1025451?journalCode=tsub20">NatHERS-endorsed buildings</a> <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/geo2.33">have been</a> <a href="https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/heat-stress-resistant-building-design-in-the-australian-context-CcZecyU0S5">shown</a> to <a href="https://www.energy.gov.au/publications/evaluation-5-star-energy-efficiency-standard-residential-buildings">underperform</a> against traditional “non-green” houses. </p>
<p>That said, voluntary and obligatory tools are not so much a weak link in our emission reduction strategy as the only link. And therein lies the fundamental problem.</p>
<h2>So what do the experts suggest?</h2>
<p>We conducted a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329066129_Barriers_inhibiting_the_transition_to_sustainability_within_the_Australian_construction_industry_An_investigation_of_technical_and_social_interactions">study</a> involving a cohort of 26 experts drawn from the sustainability profession. We posed the question of what must be done to generate a working strategy to improve Australia’s chances of keeping the carbon-neutral promise by 2050 was posed. Here is what the experts said:</p>
<p>Sustainability transition in Australia is failing because:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>government lacks commitment to develop effective regulations, audit performance, resolve vested interests (developers), clarify its own vision and, above all, sell that sustainability vision to the community</p></li>
<li><p>sustainability advocates are stuck in isolated silos of fragmented markets (commercial and residential) and hampered by multiple jurisdictions with varied sustainability regimes</p></li>
<li><p>most importantly, end users just do not care – nobody has bothered to communicate the Paris Accord promise to Joe and Mary Citizen, let alone explain why it matters to them.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Tweaking the rating tools further would be a good thing. Getting more than a token few buildings rated would be better. But the show-and-tell display of a pageant of beautiful, <a href="http://theconversation.com/green-building-revolution-only-in-high-end-new-cbd-offices-24535">green-rated headquarters buildings from our socially responsible corporations</a> is not going to save us. Beyond the CBD islands of our major cities lies a sea of suburban sprawl that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318754386_From_leaders_to_majority_a_frontrunner_paradox_in_built-environment_climate_governance_experimentation">continues to chew up ever more energy and resources</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-task-for-australias-energy-ministers-remove-barriers-to-better-buildings-64052">A task for Australia's energy ministers: remove barriers to better buildings</a>
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<p>It costs between <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235262457_Is_the_social_agenda_driving_sustainable_property_development_in_Melbourne_Australia">8% and 30% more than the usual costs of a building to reduce emissions</a>. Someone needs to explain to the struggling home owner why the Paris climate promise is worth it. Given the next election won’t be for a few months, our political parties still have time to formulate their pitch on who exactly is expected to pay.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/105652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Igor Martek receives funding from Deakin University. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>M. Reza Hosseini is affiliated with Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University. </span></em></p>Australia’s commitments to cut emissions are on a collision course with urban growth. We need a much more comprehensive strategy to make the transition to a sustainable built environment.Igor Martek, Lecturer In Construction, Deakin UniversityM. Reza Hosseini, Lecturer in Construction, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1094282019-01-09T19:12:09Z2019-01-09T19:12:09ZThere are lessons to be drawn from the cracks that appeared in Sydney’s Opal Tower, but they extend beyond building certification<p>The reasons for the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fears-of-50-per-cent-loss-in-value-as-opal-tower-owners-consider-legal-options-20190103-p50pgg.html">cracked concrete</a> that triggered the evacuation – twice – of residents from Sydney’s Opal Tower over Christmas and the New Year are unknown and will take time to properly establish. Many commentators are jumping to the conclusion (yes that includes you, <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/labors-kim-carr-promises-building-industry-reform-says-nsw-indolent-over-opal-20190102-h19mgk">Senator Carr</a>) that the problem is the result of the privatisation of building certification. Instead of being done by government or council inspectors, certification is now done by private contractors engaged by the developer.</p>
<p>It might well be a contributing factor, but what went wrong at Opal Tower is is much more complex than that. Making certification a government responsibility again won’t solve it.</p>
<p>Opal is unusual. Very few residential buildings in Australia have ever been evacuated due to construction defects, and fewer still because of structural cracking. The vast majority of construction defects in multi-unit residential buildings are waterproofing failures. Rather than creating short-term alarm, they create long-term misery. Because misery does not generate headlines, the problem of quality in multi-unit housing continues to be ignored by governments.</p>
<h2>Most strata buildings are defective</h2>
<p>Strata title allows each resident to own the space in which they live as well as a share of the common property including pipes and walls. It’s the way apartments are usually sold after they are developed.</p>
<p>We don’t have definitive, current data on the extent of defects in strata title buildings. Researchers from UNSW’s City Futures Research Centre have begun collecting the information for Sydney. But there are clear indications that defects are significant and widespread.</p>
<p>A 2012 study by City Futures surveyed 1,020 strata owners across NSW, and found 72% of all respondents (85% in buildings built since 2000) knew of <a href="https://cityfutures.be.unsw.edu.au/research/projects/governing-the-compact-city-the-role-and-effectiveness-of-strata-management-in-higher-density-residential-developments/">at least one significant defect</a> in their complex. </p>
<p>In 2017 a City of Sydney survey identified defects and maintenance as the <a href="https://www.flat-chat.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CoS-Short-Term-Letting-Survey-report-2017.pdf">top concern of owner occupiers of apartments</a>, along with short-term letting through organisations such as Airbnb. </p>
<p>Unfortunately for those keen to leap to conclusions about certification, studies showed the same thing back in the early 1990s when certification was largely in the hands of local governments. In fact, studies have found the same thing ever since speculative housing became common in Australia, from the end of World War One.</p>
<p>In fact, ever since speculative housing development and investment has become common (after World War I in Australia), residential construction defects have been a concern both here and overseas. </p>
<p>The market for residential buildings is extremely competitive, and controlling the cost of construction is one of the key factors in making a profit. Sometimes, the urge to maximise profit dominates to the extent that both short and long-term construction failures are inevitable. </p>
<h2>It’s the consequence of cost control</h2>
<p>There are, of course, reputable developers and builders, but reputation usually finishes last, undercut by less-reputable players who produce buildings that are slightly cheaper.</p>
<p>Defects in single-storey speculative houses with pitched roofs are probably just as common as defects in multi-unit dwellings with flat roofs, but they are much easier to fix because the houses are close to the ground and no strata committee is involved. </p>
<p>They are also much easier to find; a competent building inspection initiated by a purchaser is normally enough to protect the buyer. On the other hand, a building inspection of a single unit in a multi-unit development is highly unlikely to find defects which are located elsewhere in the common property of a building. </p>
<p>There are 653 apartments in the Meriton-developed Regis Towers, for example, which was the subject of a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/towers-of-trouble-20181228-p50ol6.html">long-running legal action for defects</a>.</p>
<h2>Intervening at certification is too late</h2>
<p>The only practical way to make multi-unit dwellings a good investment for the residents and a decent place to live is for government to take a pro-active role in driving quality throughout the design and construction process, not just at the end when the building is certified for occupation, or at the beginning when it gets a development approval. </p>
<p>It is a simple reality that no other actor in the construction process has the capacity to take this role. It is also simpler and cheaper to build in quality than to rectify defects. </p>
<p>Often, a $1 detail realised for fifty cents will cause endless grief and cost thousands of dollars to fix.</p>
<p>Reducing the amount of rectification required will improve sustainability outcomes by containing the amount of embodied carbon incorporated in the building. </p>
<p>If the building performs well, it will have a longer life and that will reduce the need to eventually replace it with a new building; again saving materials and improving the outcome for embodied carbon. It is worth remembering that 20 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste are produced in Australia each year.</p>
<h2>Governments have been reluctant to intervene early</h2>
<p>Governments have as good as ignored the problem of defects in multi-unit residential construction even though they have been aware of it for years. </p>
<p>This is particularly concerning because the state governments in NSW and Victoria have been busy spruiking this type of accommodation as the solution to the pressures of rising populations in Sydney and Melbourne. Given this, the protections for apartment owners under existing legislation are ludicrously slight.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC) in its current form is no guarantee. There are so many ambiguities and grey areas in the NCC and in the way that it is applied that it is a guarantee of almost nothing, particularly when it comes to waterproofing. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-investor-driven-urban-density-is-inevitably-linked-to-disadvantage-82073">Why investor-driven urban density is inevitably linked to disadvantage</a>
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<p>A simple example is the construction of balconies with flat slabs, which is perfectly acceptable under the NCC. The floor slab is constructed as a single plane from the interior to the exterior of the building with the waterproof barrier at the balcony being provided by a masonry wall or a concrete ridge on top of the slab.</p>
<p>This design almost always leaks within a few years. The reliable solution is to cast the slab with a step, but this is more expensive and as a consequence is rare. Cut-price membranes under tiled terraces are also common, causing leaks, mould and misery, despite arguably complying with the provisions of the NCC.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there is plenty that government could do to improve quality of multi-unit construction without affecting prices much.</p>
<h2>Five stars. Information could drive standards</h2>
<p>One clear way forward is to make the construction quality of a building more transparent to buyers. </p>
<p>This could be achieved by introducing a similar sort of quality assurance scheme to the one government runs to improve safety in cars; a five-star rating.</p>
<p>People are free to buy a two-star car, but for obvious reasons, not many do, even if they are cheap. Similarly, it is unlikely that many people would buy a two-star unit. </p>
<p>It would be perfectly possible to star rate multi-unit housing for construction quality using an independent assessment body against a transparent set of criteria.</p>
<h2>It’s been tried before</h2>
<p>Such a quality assurance scheme was introduced by the now defunct Building and Construction Council (BACC) in NSW during the 1990s, but unfortunately foundered due to a lack of funding and will from Bob Carr’s government. This was a pity, as the scheme was designed to drive quality through the whole of the building process, from design to completion.</p>
<p>It still provides a perfectly valid model for a policy that would actually do something to improve multi-unit construction quality at a cost which is minimal in relation to the value of the benefits produced. If a building is built correctly in the first place, then owners will not need to rely on shonky fly-by-night builders and developers for rectification works nor need to claim against complex insurance policies.</p>
<p>If the NSW and Victorian governments are serious about having a greater proportion of people live in multi-unit developments, they have a responsibility to do something about their quality before we are left with a overhang of misery, leaks and failures. Just ask the residents and owners of Opal Tower.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/109428/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geoff Hanmer has received funding from the NSW Building and Construction Council. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Architects. </span></em></p>It’s tempting to blame building certifiers and the fact they are privately employed. But the cracks in the quality of our apartment buildings go deeper and can be fixed.Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/916552018-02-21T17:22:55Z2018-02-21T17:22:55ZGreenwashing the property market: why ‘green star’ ratings don’t guarantee more sustainable buildings<p>Nothing uses more resources or produces more waste than the buildings we live and work in. Our built environment is responsible for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2015.06.003">half of all global energy use</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2015.06.003">half of all greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Buildings consume <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.12.037">one-sixth of all freshwater</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.12.037">one-quarter of world wood harvests</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.12.037">four-tenths of all other raw materials</a>. The construction and later demolition of buildings produces <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.025">40% of all waste</a>.</p>
<p>The sustainability of our buildings is coming under scrutiny, and “green” rating tools are the key method for measuring this. Deakin University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment recently <a href="http://www.deakin.edu.au/architecture-built-environment/research/charting-pre-design-sustainability-indicators">reviewed</a> these certification schemes. Focus group discussions were held in Sydney and Melbourne with representatives in the field of sustainability – including government, green consultancies and rating tool providers. </p>
<p>Two main concerns emerged from our review:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Sustainability ratings tools are not audited. Most ratings tools are predictive, while those few that take measurements use paid third parties. Government plays no active part.</p></li>
<li><p>The sustainability parameters measured only loosely intersect with the building occupants’ sustainability concerns. Considerations such as access to transport and amenities are not included.</p></li>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/207055/original/file-20180220-116343-j14zhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Focus group sessions run by Deakin University helped identify problems with current sustainability ratings.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/construction-industry-loophole-leaves-home-buyers-facing-higher-energy-bills-82378">Construction industry loophole leaves home buyers facing higher energy bills</a>
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<p>That’s the backdrop to the sustainability targets now being adopted across Australia. Australia has the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-economy-population/australias-population-growth-outpaces-world-as-migrants-rush-in-idUSKBN1E80HT">highest rate of population growth</a> of any developed country. The population now is <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument">24.8 million</a>. It is expected to reach between <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3222.0Main+Features12006%20to%202101?OpenDocument">30.9 and 42.5 million people by 2056</a>. </p>
<p>More buildings will be needed for these people to live and work in. And we will have to find ways to ensure these buildings are more sustainable if the targets now being adopted are to be achieved.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rics.org/au/knowledge/research/research-reports/building-permits-and-sustainability/">Over 80%</a> of local governments have zero-emissions targets. <a href="http://www.rics.org/au/knowledge/research/research-reports/building-permits-and-sustainability/">Sydney and Canberra</a> have committed to zero-carbon emissions by 2050. <a href="http://www.rics.org/au/knowledge/research/research-reports/building-permits-and-sustainability/">Melbourne</a> has pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2020. </p>
<h2>So how do green ratings work?</h2>
<p>Each green rating tool works by identifying a range of sustainability parameters – such as water and energy use, waste production, etc. The list of things to be measured runs into the dozens. Tools differ on the parameters measured, method of measurement, weightings given and the thresholds that determine a given sustainability rating.</p>
<p>There are over 600 such rating tools worldwide. Each competes in the marketplace by looking to reconcile the credibility of its ratings with the disinclination of developers to submit to an assessment that will rate them poorly. Rating tools found in Australia include <a href="https://new.gbca.org.au/green-star/">Green Star</a>, <a href="https://nabers.gov.au/public/webpages/home.aspx">NABERS</a>, <a href="http://www.nathers.gov.au/">NatHERS</a>, <a href="http://www.circlesofsustainability.org/">Circles of Sustainability</a>, <a href="http://www.envirodevelopment.com.au/">EnviroDevelopment</a>, <a href="https://living-future.org/lcc/">Living Community Challenge</a> and <a href="http://bioregional.com.au/oneplanetliving/oneplanetcommunities/">One Planet Communities</a>. </p>
<p>So, it is easy enough to find landmark developments labelled with green accreditations. It is harder to quantify what these actually mean.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/green-building-revolution-only-in-high-end-new-cbd-offices-24535">Green building revolution? Only in high-end new CBD offices</a>
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<h2>Ratings must be independently audited</h2>
<p>Government practice, historically, has been to assure building quality through permits. Planning permits ensure a development conforms with city schemes. Building permits assess structural load-bearing capacity, health and fire safety. </p>
<p>All this is done off the plan. Site inspections take place to verify that the building is built to plan. But once a certificate of occupancy is issued, the government steps aside.</p>
<p>The sustainability agenda promoted by government has been grafted onto this regime. Energy efficiency was introduced into the residential building code in <a href="http://www.rics.org/au/knowledge/research/research-reports/building-permits-and-sustainability/">2005</a>, and then into the commercial building code in <a href="http://www.rics.org/au/knowledge/research/research-reports/building-permits-and-sustainability/">2006</a>. At first, this was limited to new buildings, but then broadened to include refurbishment of existing structures. </p>
<p>Again, sustainability credentials are assessed off the plan and certification issued once the building is up and running. Thereafter, government walks away.</p>
<p>We know of only one longitudinal energy performance study carried out on domestic residences in Australia. It is an as-yet-unpublished project conducted by a retiree from the CSIRO, working with Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland. </p>
<p>The findings corroborate a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.10.025">recent study</a> by Gertrud Hatvani-Kovacs and colleagues from the University of South Australia. This study found that so-called “energy-inefficient” houses, following traditional design, managed under certain conditions to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/australian-houses-losing-in-heat-management-design/9287188">outperform 6- and 8-star buildings</a>.</p>
<h2>Sustainability tools must measure what matters</h2>
<p>Energy usage is but the tip of the iceberg. Genuine sustainability is about delivering our children into a future in which they have all that we have today.</p>
<p>Home owners, on average, turn their property around <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/brisbane-qld/property-ownership-trends-sees-a-10-years-average-across-australia-which-is-not-good-for-the-economy/news-story/40f58f85cb081ec84bd74af08cda5b4f">every eight years</a>. They are less concerned with energy efficiency than with real estate prices. And these prices depend on the appeal of the property, which involves access to transport, schools, parks and amenities, and freedom from crime.</p>
<p>Commercial property owners, too, are concerned about infrastructure, and they care about creating work environments that retain valued employees. </p>
<p>These are all core sustainability issues, yet do not come up in the rating systems we use.</p>
<p>If government is serious about creating sustainable cities, it needs to let go of its limited, narrow criteria and embrace these larger concerns of “liveability”. It must embody these broader criteria in the rating systems it uses to endorse developments. And it needs an auditing and enforcement regime in place to make it happen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91655/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Igor Martek receives funding from the IDF, internal to Deakin University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>M. Reza Hosseini is affiliated with the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University. </span></em></p>Buildings are central to creating more sustainable cities, and green ratings are often used to assess how well a building measures up against this goal. But the current system has serious flaws.Igor Martek, Lecturer In Construction, Deakin UniversityM. Reza Hosseini, Lecturer in Construction, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/888172017-12-08T02:58:47Z2017-12-08T02:58:47ZCalifornia fire damage to homes is less ‘random’ than it seems<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198202/original/file-20171207-11315-1ygt36d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can California update its building codes to minimize fire damage?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Jae C. Hong</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the midst of the many <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-school-fire-20171204-story.html">wildfire</a> <a href="http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7588914-181/cal-fire-4658-homes-destroyed?gallery=7597510&artslide=0">emergencies</a> that have <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Cal-Fire-Thomas-Fire-in-Ventura-County-12407361.php">faced California</a> this year, it can often seem that the way houses burn, or don’t, is random. </p>
<p>The thing is, though, it’s not. Firefighters and researchers alike have a pretty solid understanding of why some houses are more vulnerable to wildfire than others. The real challenge ultimately lies in whether those with the power to act on that knowledge will do so.</p>
<h2>Available science</h2>
<p>It is commonly thought that it takes direct flame to spread a fire, but this isn’t always the case. Small embers are instead often the <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/4/1/014010/pdf">culprits that begin house fires</a> during wildfires. These small bits of burning debris can be lofted long distances by the wind. They can then end up igniting landscaping materials like combustible mulch, or enter homes through vulnerable spots – gutters teeming with debris, unscreened attic <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/housedemo/vents/t6-v1.html">vents</a>, open or broken <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/housedemo/windows/t25-w1.html">windows</a>, old <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/housedemo/roof/t8-r1.html">roofs</a> with missing shingles. Once there, the embers smolder and can ultimately catch a house on fire.</p>
<p>In California, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/06/weather/santa-ana-winds-explained/index.html">iconic winds</a> work to create ideal ember-driven ignition conditions. The Santa Ana winds in Southern California – known as the Diablo winds in northern part of the state – have generally followed fairly predictable seasonal and spatial patterns. <a href="http://calfire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_redflagwarning">“Red flag” fire warnings</a> are often issued on dry days when the winds will be particularly fierce.</p>
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<span class="caption">Avoiding fire on Highway 101 north of Ventura, California.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/Noah Berger</span></span>
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<p>While humans <a href="https://baynature.org/article/californias-massive-fires-break-illusion-control-disasters/">can’t really control</a> as much as we’d like to believe when it comes to disasters, we do have the ability to control where and how we build. For decades, most wildfire education and enforcement campaigns have focused on creating so-called <a href="http://www.readyforwildfire.org/Defensible-Space/">defensible space</a> where landscaping vegetation is carefully selected and located on the property, as well as routinely maintained. </p>
<p>This is not enough, however. Officials in California – as in other fire-prone states – need to help <a href="http://firecenter.berkeley.edu/toolkit/homeowners.html">homeowners</a>, <a href="http://ucanr.edu/sites/cfro/Fire_Information_Toolkit/Community_Leaders/">local governments</a> and <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/bwmg/">builders</a> to understand there are also specific, science-based steps that can be taken to make <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/housedemo/">structures themselves less vulnerable to fire</a>. </p>
<p>Researchers recommend what is known as a “coupled approach” to home and building survival. This means the development and maintenance of an effective defensible space, as well as the careful selection of <a href="http://firecenterbeta.berkeley.edu/bwmg/">construction materials</a> and correct installation to ensure that, for example, there are not gaps in siding or roofing that would allow embers to penetrate.</p>
<p>Decision-makers also need to be willing to take on the most taboo topic of them all: recognizing that there are places houses simply <a href="https://theconversation.com/california-needs-to-rethink-urban-fire-risk-after-wine-country-tragedy-85966">shouldn’t be built, or rebuilt, at all</a>. </p>
<h2>(Not) too urban to burn</h2>
<p>Earlier this year, California had the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/california-drought.html">first strong winter rains</a> after many years of drought. Now, after a typically dry summer, the state is experiencing a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/6/16742496/california-la-ventura-thomas-rye-creek-fires-drought-water-climate">dry start to the rainy season</a>, particularly in the south. At the same time, people have continued to build into places known to burn regularly. The result of this confluence of events has been fires deeply affecting many thousands of people up and down the state.</p>
<p>California residents are largely aware that not all fire is bad, and that many of our ecosystems thrive on regular fire. It’s not something that we should, or ever could, hope to fully contain. Our only chance is learning, really and truly and finally learning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/learning-to-live-with-wildfires-how-communities-can-become-fire-adapted-59508">to live with it</a>.</p>
<p>In that vein, the state must look long and hard at some of the steps that have been the hardest to take – not building in places that are particularly fire-prone and matching building codes with a modern understanding of wildfire risk – if there is to be any hope of alleviating the human suffering these fires cause.</p>
<p>We are being invited to free ourselves from the notion that wildfire destruction is random and unpredictable, and that therefore there is nothing to be done about it. As the fire season in California <a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-california-fire-seasons/">gets longer</a>, the <a href="https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/12/los-angeles-is-burning-again-and-again/547637/">winds worsen</a> and wildfires move into areas once deemed too urbanized to burn, maybe the knowledge about what makes houses burn can finally be put to good use.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88817/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Faith Kearns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are well-understood ways to minimize the risk of fire spreading through housing – if only developers, homeowners and officials took heed.Faith Kearns, Academic Coordinator, California Institute for Water Resources, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/842632017-09-20T20:33:15Z2017-09-20T20:33:15ZSustainable cities? Australia’s building and planning rules stand in the way of getting there<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186530/original/file-20170919-32025-496xrj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An outstanding example of sustainable residential building, Breathe Architecture's The Commons apartments in Melbourne won a 2014 National Architecture Award.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.archdaily.com/564556/winners-of-the-2014-national-architecture-awards-announced/5459f1e0e58ece47900000d1-winners-of-the-2014-national-architecture-awards-announced-image">Image courtesy of Australian Institute of Architects</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s building and land-use policy settings fall well short of what’s needed to make meaningful progress toward creating sustainable cities. </p>
<p>You will find environmental sustainability goals and objectives in government strategy documents. But <a href="http://cur.org.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/implementing-sustainability-in-the-built-environment.pdf">our newly released review</a> of building and land-use planning policies around Australia has found New South Wales is the only state without serious gaps in legislation and enforcement. </p>
<p>Research <a href="http://dpc.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/17159/NEEBP-final-report-November-2014.pdf">shows</a> a large percentage of new dwellings in Australia fail to meet even minimum building requirements when checked after construction. </p>
<p>There is little legislation and enforcement, with the notable exception of NSW’s Building and Sustainability Index (<a href="https://www.basix.nsw.gov.au/iframe/about-basix.html">BASIX</a>). This means neither building codes nor state planning systems are achieving sustainability goals <a href="https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:160284">required for a low-carbon future</a> for cities and buildings. </p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/affordable-sustainable-high-quality-urban-housing-its-not-an-impossible-dream-57958">Affordable, sustainable, high-quality urban housing? It’s not an impossible dream</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>Sustainable cities are among the UN <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">Sustainable Development Goals</a>. At present, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-ranks-20th-on-progress-towards-the-sustainable-development-goals-62820">Australia ranks 20th</a> on progress toward these goals.</p>
<p>So how important is the built environment to Australia’s ability to achieve these goals? In fact, it’s a significant contributor to anthropogenic climate change. </p>
<p>The built environment accounts for around <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038092X10002847">40% of worldwide energy use</a> and <a href="http://www.tandfebooks.com/isbn/9781849775380">one-third of greenhouse gas emissions</a>. In Australia, the residential sector is responsible for <a href="https://industry.gov.au/Office-of-the-Chief-Economist/Publications/Documents/aes/energyupdate_2011_report.pdf">12% of final energy use</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036013231000034X">13% of emissions</a>. </p>
<h2>Stepping into the breach locally</h2>
<p>As the national building code is failing to improve sustainability, efforts to do this through local planning systems are emerging. </p>
<p>The Council Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments (<a href="http://www.mav.asn.au/policy-services/planning-building/sustainable-buildings/council-alliance-sustainable-built-environment/Pages/default.aspx">CASBE</a>) in Victoria is one example. This involves local governments working with design and planning professionals to create environmentally sustainable built environments.</p>
<p>In Victoria, there has been debate about the need for <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-reform/betterapartments">better building design</a> and <a href="http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/articles/aia-enters-debate-on-minimum-apartment-size/65192">performance</a> over the past few years. However, our analysis of appeal cases before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) reveals significant inconsistencies in decision-making. We found tensions between the state planning framework and local government efforts to achieve environmental sustainability design through planning.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"658525803362299904"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/nightingales-sustainability-song-falls-on-deaf-ears-as-car-centric-planning-rules-hold-sway-50187">Nightingale’s sustainability song falls on deaf ears as car-centric planning rules hold sway</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>The work of CASBE highlights the important role of networks in building capacity across councils and mobilising support for achieving sustainable outcomes in our built environments. Over time, CASBE and other advocates have developed and implemented a range of assessment tools, local policies and decision-making processes.</p>
<p>This is one way to overcome gaps and weaknesses in the planning system. The CASBE network has grown as a result of its members’ persistence in the face of state government reluctance to change. </p>
<p>In a growing number of local government areas, Victoria now has strong local planning policies that promote designing for environmental sustainability.</p>
<h2>Enforceable standards are essential</h2>
<p>The systemic and political obstacles to achieving environmentally sustainable design in our cities are clear and persistent. The voluntary use of tools to assess sustainability as a guide to decision-making is important, but can only go so far. Clear and enforceable standards for environmentally sustainable design are needed in both building and planning regulations. </p>
<p>Our analysis of VCAT data and key cases since 2003 found a continual passing of responsibility between building and planning systems. This problem must be overcome to embed and normalise sustainable design in the built environment. The BASIX system – a sustainability scorecard developed by the NSW government – offers a good starting point for other states.</p>
<p>We also found that where state governments fail to deliver frameworks to improve outcomes, there are other avenues to change and improve the system. Coalitions and networks, including committed local governments and non-state actors, can organise and act to innovate, build capacities and bring about regulatory change. </p>
<p>We must transform our built environments to reduce the impacts of environmental and climate change. This requires a building and planning system that delivers consistently higher standards of decision-making. And for that to happen all levels of government must be committed. </p>
<p>The work of improving the sustainability of our cities is too important to be left to the local groups now working tirelessly to overcome current systemic shortcomings.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84263/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joe Hurley receives funding from the Australian Communities Foundation, and the Australian Government via the National Environmental Science Programme. He a Committee Member with the Planning Institute of Australian, Victoria Division.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susie Moloney has received funding from a range of organisations including the Australian Research Council and other government funding bodies. This research was supported by funding from the Australian Communities Fund. Susie is a member of the Planning Institute of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council and the Australian Communities Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andréanne Doyon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New South Wales is the only state that has made meaningful progress on legislation and enforcement of standards capable of creating a sustainable built environment.Andréanne Doyon, Lecturer, School of Global, Urban & Social Studies, RMIT UniversityJoe Hurley, Senior Lecturer, Sustainability and Urban Planning, RMIT UniversitySusie Moloney, Senior Lecturer, School of Global Urban and Social Studies, Sustainability and Urban Planning Program, RMIT UniversityTrivess Moore, Research Fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/830302017-08-30T04:22:44Z2017-08-30T04:22:44ZForget heatwaves, our cold houses are much more likely to kill us<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183547/original/file-20170828-27540-ziqr2l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Soaring heating costs mean many vulnerable Australians endure cold houses and the associated risks to their health.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-adjusting-her-thermostat-88666006?src=CtveLNqByT5BE5DYQp5ulg-1-0">Paul Vasarhelyi from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A pervasive myth in Australia is that hot weather is the greatest danger to our health. In reality, it’s more likely cold weather will kill you. </p>
<p>For all our concern about the dangers of heatwaves, simple analysis of mortality data suggests the cold months present a much greater health risk. </p>
<p>Almost 7% of deaths in Australia from 1988 to 2009 were attributable to cold weather, according to an <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62114-0/fulltext">international study</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cold-weather-is-a-bigger-killer-than-extreme-heat-heres-why-42252">reported in The Conversation</a>. Less than 1% of deaths were attributable to heat. </p>
<hr>
<p><em><strong>Further reading:</strong> <a href="https://theconversation.com/cold-weather-is-a-bigger-killer-than-extreme-heat-heres-why-42252">Cold weather is a bigger killer than extreme heat – here’s why</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>Relating simple monthly mortality rates with temperature data for South Australia, we also see a clear and significant relationship between excess deaths and monthly mean temperature. The compelling graph below suggests that, rather than focusing our attention on heatwaves in summer, we should be far more worried about keeping people warm in winter. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183381/original/file-20170824-28115-1nskw6r.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Australia may well be a sunburnt country, but even though most us live in parts of the nation with a mild climate, an increasing pool of empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests our houses are <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10901-008-9105-1">some of the coldest in the world</a>. </p>
<p>While clearly not the only contributing factor to high wintertime mortality and ill-health, housing is an important place to start. After all, Australians spend <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/topics/environment-protection/air-quality/indoor-air">up to 90% of their lives indoors</a>.</p>
<h2>Why do Australians suffer cold houses?</h2>
<p>We suggest several explanations for Australia’s “cold house” phenomenon: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Australian houses are mainly designed to keep us cool in summer rather than warm in winter, so are often hard (or costly) to heat. Thus the quality of housing that people are able to access is critical in shaping their exposure to or protection from cold conditions.</p></li>
<li><p>The dominant heat narrative running through public health awareness campaigns and an overwhelming research focus on keeping houses cool continually reinforce the collective perception of Australia as a summer country. Keeping warm in winter has become an afterthought, an exercise in resilience. However, many Australian climates have more heating degree days than cooling degree days, so it takes more energy to make our houses comfortable in winter than in summer. </p></li>
<li><p>Australian housing is built to relatively poor minimum thermal performance standards. These provisions, once considered progressive, have not been significantly enhanced for the past decade. One <a href="http://lowcarbonlivingcrc.com.au/sites/all/files/publications_file_attachments/best_practice_policy_and_regulation_14_march_2017_crclcl.pdf">report suggests</a> the standards are unlikely to be meaningfully revised until 2022 at the earliest. And once housing is built, there are no mandatory compliance checks for quality, insulation or warmth in either the owner-occupier or rental sectors. </p></li>
<li><p>Fuel poverty is adding to the cost-of-living pressures on Australian households. For some, the cost of adequately heating draughty and poorly insulated homes is too high. A <a href="http://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ACOSS_BSL_TCI_Empowering-households.pdf">recent report</a> suggests the number of Australians experiencing energy poverty is likely to be much higher than the 3 million living below the poverty line.</p></li>
<li><p>Partly due to the above, we lack reliable, systematic and publicly available data about cold houses in Australia. This makes it difficult to track and make visible the extent of the problem. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Realistically, most of us can do something about cold houses. We can, for example, spend more on power, fit solar panels, install insulation, or buy (or rent) well-designed warm houses. </p>
<p>For people who are unable to take these steps, the cold house phenomenon bites hard. It may be because their houses are not designed to stay warm in winter and they cannot afford improvements. They may be in a rental tenancy where the landlord is unwilling to complete upgrades, or heating costs may just be too high.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason, exposure to cold living environments has a well-documented range of health effects. These include cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and communicable diseases.</p>
<p>Importantly, it’s often the people most vulnerable to these health effects who live in cold housing – the elderly and people with existing health conditions.</p>
<h2>What is our research finding?</h2>
<p>Preliminary findings from <a href="http://architecture.adelaide.edu.au/research/groups/healthy-cities/">a study</a> of cold houses in Adelaide this winter support the points above. The participants we interviewed experience cold housing for a wide range of reasons. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/183551/original/file-20170828-27584-1eru2tq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=816&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sealing gaps can help keep out the cold, but some people aren’t in a position to upgrade and repair their homes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hands-worker-using-silicone-tube-repairing-584279548">shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For some, the cost of energy was broadly affordable, but the poor dwelling design meant heating had to be run all or most of the time. Once heating was turned off, draughts from badly sealed windows and doors, or lack of insulation in the walls and roof caused rooms to cool down quickly. </p>
<p>For others, the fear of a big energy bill stopped them using heating at all. They made do with whatever was available to them, such as extra layers of clothing and blankets.</p>
<p>These participants often had the worst housing, with no north-facing windows to make the most of any sunshine, no insulation, poor building sealing, inefficient heating and no foreseeable opportunity to improve the dwelling. </p>
<p>The poorest and the most unwell of our participants were keenly aware of the health effects of their cold houses, suggesting that “every illness is worse” in the cold. </p>
<h2>What can be done about cold housing?</h2>
<p>We suggest the following priorities to tackle the problem:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Develop the capacity to identify the people who are affected by cold housing. Though this likely touches many different households nationally, special targeted assistance to people who are especially vulnerable to cold housing or its health effects has a clear social justice justification. This assistance would be similar to the UK’s winter fuel payments. </p></li>
<li><p>Focus on making both new houses (with performance standards) and old houses (with retrofit schemes) better able to stay warm without over-reliance on heating.</p></li>
<li><p>Establish ways to reduce broader fuel poverty. This requires strong national leadership and large-scale policy responses that relieve the pressure of high energy costs for our most vulnerable. This may take the form of targeted energy concessions, standardising of consumer power contracts, or welfare-focused bulk energy purchasing schemes.</p></li>
<li><p>In the absence of reliable methods to measure the problem, we need to produce evidence and generate a national discussion.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>But the first step is breaking the myth of heat in Australia. Acknowledging that cold is a more pressing problem than heat forces us to look differently at building performance standards, underpins the need for design responses that are warm in winter as well as cool in summer, and focuses our attention on vulnerable Australians who need help to make their houses affordably warm.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83030/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Baker receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lyrian Daniel does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The idea of a hot and sunny land is so baked into our thinking about Australia that we’ve failed to design and build houses that protect us from the cold.Lyrian Daniel, ARC Research Associate, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of AdelaideEmma Baker, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/800352017-06-27T00:40:55Z2017-06-27T00:40:55ZCould a tragedy like the Grenfell Tower fire happen in the U.S.?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175717/original/file-20170626-29117-4jwiua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/CORRECTION-Britain-London-Fire/1c1d62c44d804444a7ba2d760889887c/25/1">AP Photo/Matt Dunham</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Grenfell Tower fire in London has triggered questions about how the tragedy could have happened, whether it could happen elsewhere, and what might be learned from it to prevent future disasters. As a professor of fire protection engineering, I know that the answers are not simple, and the fixes not quick.</p>
<p>Investigations into what actually happened at Grenfell Tower are still ongoing. While some factors have been identified, completing the picture <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/17/grenfell-tower-results-fire-investigation-published-years">could take years</a>. As details emerge, though, it may not be easy to translate them to other situations. Buildings differ widely, based on when each was constructed and any renovations or other modifications since. And then there are the <a href="https://gizmodo.com/several-states-in-the-us-allow-the-same-cladding-that-t-1796394632">different rules, design concepts and construction practices</a> that vary from country to country, and, in the U.S., sometimes from state to state.</p>
<p>The basic problem, however, is clear: The Grenfell Tower fire spread much faster and more intensely than anyone expected. From what we know so far, there are physical, cultural and legal reasons <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/why-the-grenfell-tower-official-death-toll-has-risen-so-slowly">dozens, and possibly hundreds, of people died</a>. Addressing each of them will help British authorities, and fire protection and fire prevention professionals around the world, improve their efforts to reduce the chance of future tragedies like the one at Grenfell Tower.</p>
<p><iframe id="LKcnX" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LKcnX/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<h2>Structure</h2>
<p>It appears that the main problem was the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/grenfell-tower-fire-police-considering-manslaughter-charges">dangerously flammable</a> cladding, the material covering the outside of the building – aluminum panels with foam insulation installed in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/15/experts-warned-government-against-cladding-material-used-on-grenfell">recent effort to improve the building’s energy efficiency</a>. Once the fire escaped the apartment where it began, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/23/hotpoint-fridge-freezer-sparked-grenfell-tower-fire/">reportedly in the refrigerator</a>, and ignited the cladding, the rest of the building was primed to burn quickly.</p>
<p>Additional insulation underneath that cladding may have <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3855220/grenfell-tower-victims-may-have-been-poisoned-by-cyanide-gas-from-burning-insulation-boards/">released poisonous fumes</a> as it burned, overcoming residents who might otherwise have escaped the flames.</p>
<p>In addition, the building lacked an automatic fire-sprinkler system, and had only a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/15/eight-failures-left-people-grenfell-tower-mercy-inferno/">single stairway to get out</a>.</p>
<h2>Culture</h2>
<p>That lone stairway – and the fact that building occupants were <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/stay-put-deadly-london-fire-puts-scrutiny-high-48101105">reportedly told to remain in their apartments in case of fire</a> – are the result of fire safety culture influencing emergency planning. In England and around the world, including the U.S., the historical approach has been to <a href="https://www.fire-magazine.com/the-role-of-passive-fire-protection">rely significantly on the fire resistance of the structure itself</a> to contain the fire. We call this “passive” fire protection, and it largely involves using non-combustible materials to separate areas, limiting how far a fire can spread.</p>
<p>This concept has been used at least since the <a href="http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/great-fire-of-london.asp">1666 Great Fire of London</a>, as a way to prevent city-wide conflagrations from developing when a blaze burning in one building catches the structure next door. The same principle is used within buildings, for example by <a href="http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newyorkcity/Building/PDFs/Chapter%207_Fire-Resistance-Rated%20%20Construction.pdf">requiring fire-resistant construction</a> among apartments or offices on each floor, as well as between floors.</p>
<p>However, the concept only works when the initial fire is contained. That didn’t happen at Grenfell Tower. Once the fire reached the external cladding, it spread rapidly. If the building’s residents had their windows open for ventilation, the fire could have spread even faster: The heat just outside could have ignited drapes or other items near the windows.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0yQLIlIetDM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Fire rapidly engulfs the side of a tall building in France, spreading along the exterior material.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With multiple fires burning simultaneously in different apartments on several floors, the situation would have been grim. There were no sprinklers to quench the flames. And the only stairway down for the building’s occupants was also <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/grenfell-tower-fire-fighter-what-it-was-like-a7798766.html">the only stairway up for firefighters</a> coming to the rescue. </p>
<p>This situation was very similar to the confluence of problems in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-building-design-changed-after-9-11-64580">2001 World Trade Center disaster</a>, when multiple fires burned across several floors simultaneously, the automatic sprinkler system was damaged, and some exit stairways were blocked. Occupants of the Twin Towers buildings and Grenfell Tower who were above the fires had few options – because they were not expected to need them. The regular fire safety plans <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/stay-put-deadly-london-fire-puts-scrutiny-high-48101105">didn’t call for immediate evacuation</a>, because the building’s construction was supposed to keep a large fire from happening.</p>
<h2>Rules</h2>
<p>Those expectations about how structures will function in a fire inform the rules people make about how to protect occupants of a burning building. In most countries, including the U.S., the rules governing how buildings are constructed are enforced when a new structure is going up. </p>
<p>As we learn more over time about how to keep people safer, <a href="http://www.eesi.org/papers/view/the-value-and-impact-of-building-codes">building codes change</a> – but they <a href="https://www.nmhc.org/uploadedFiles/Articles/Analysis_and_Guidance/ICC-Model-Code-Retrofit-Requirements.pdf">usually apply just to new structures</a>, not existing ones. The new codes can kick in if there’s a major renovation or expansion project or the building’s main use changes from, say, offices to apartments. That means many buildings aren’t up to <a href="http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards">modern standards</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, it takes time from when a model building code is published, to when it <a href="https://cdn-web.iccsafe.org/wp-content/uploads/Master-I-Code-Adoption-Chart-JUNE.pdf">becomes adopted into legislation</a>. As such, even a building constructed in 1997, if it hadn’t been significantly renovated, may not have to comply with new provisions introduced in the 20 years since. </p>
<p>There are some exceptions. Many parts of the U.S. required building owners to install automatic sprinkler systems in existing high-rise buildings in the wake of the <a href="http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/fire/Pages/MGMHotelFire.aspx">1980 MGM Grand Hotel fire</a> in Las Vegas. A similar requirement in the U.K. didn’t take effect until 2007; <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40293035">existing buildings are not covered</a> unless a <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/pdfs/uksi_20051541_en.pdf">specific risk assessment</a> recommends otherwise.</p>
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<h2>Could it happen here?</h2>
<p>There have been many exterior-cladding fires in high-rise buildings around the world, including in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/15/cladding-in-2014-melbourne-high-rise-blaze-also-used-in-grenfell-tower">Australia</a>, the <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/dubai-tower-blaze-inquiry-to-focus-on-building-materials">Middle East</a> and here in the U.S. In September 2007, the <a href="http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2010/05/modern-building-materials-are-factors-in-atlantic-city-fires.html">Water Club tower at the Borgata Casino hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, caught fire</a>. The building was under construction at the time, so it was largely unoccupied. And there was a concrete wall separating the burning cladding from the rest of the building.</p>
<p>In the U.S., most fire codes limit the use of combustible exterior cladding material, particularly on high-rise buildings. The <a href="https://community.nfpa.org/community/nfpa-today/blog/2017/01/27/nfpa-1-automatic-sprinkler-systems-where-required-firecodefridays">requirements for automatic sprinklers</a> (one element of what we call “active” fire protection systems) and at least <a href="https://www2.iccsafe.org/states/Virginia/Fire_Prevention/PDFs/Chapter%2010_Means%20of%20Egress.pdf">two escape routes</a> from every floor add depth to these defenses. Together, these rules increase the chance that a small fire will be put out quickly, reduce its ability to spread up the side of the building, and help people get out if they need to.</p>
<p>Several <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster">other Grenfell Tower-like buildings</a> have already been identified in the U.K. These high-rises have combustible cladding or insulation, either permitted at the time of construction or perhaps added during a retrofit. Some of those buildings may not have sprinklers, either. The thousands of residents of those buildings have already been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/23/world/europe/grenfell-tower-fire-hotpoint-london.html">evacuated to prevent a repeat disaster</a>. </p>
<p>But at least in the U.S., most will have both sprinklers and multiple escape routes. So while another tragic event like the Grenfell Tower fire is possible, we can hope that building owners and fire protection experts alike will learn from this disaster and work even harder to prevent it from happening again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80035/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brian Meacham is Managing Principal of his own consulting firm, Meacham Associates, which provides consulting services to governments, NGOs and the private sector. As a university professor, he has received research funding to study building fire performance issues from several organizations, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Homeland Security, the Fire Protection Research Foundation, and the SFPE Foundation. </span></em></p>There are physical, cultural and legal reasons why fire prevention measures didn’t avert the tragedy at the Grenfell Tower – and other buildings are still at risk.Brian Meacham, Associate Professor of Fire Protection Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.