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Insights and guides.
Plain answers on the NCC, Section J, stormwater and waste management, taken from the codes, the planning schemes and council guidance.
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What is a Blue Factor score?
It tells council how much of a site’s stormwater nitrogen load the design treats. 100% or more meets the…
When do you need a waste management plan?
When the council asks for one with the planning application. Each council sets its own…
What NCC 2025 changed, and what it means for your drawings.
Victoria adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026 with no transition period. Three changes reach the drawings on most commercial…
NCC 2025 Section J: what changed for commercial buildings in Victoria
NCC 2025 is the first edition where Section J reaches past the envelope and onto the roof plan and the switchboard.…
How much does a Section J report cost?
A Section J report is priced from your drawings and quoted before any work starts. These are the things that decide the…
Stormwater reports in Victoria after STORM.
STORM is gone, Blue Factor has replaced it, and the townhouse stormwater standard has a new…
Which buildings does Section J apply to?
Commercial and other non-residential buildings: Class 3 and Classes 5 to 9 under NCC Volume One. Houses and, under NCC…
NCC 2022 vs NCC 2025: what changed in energy efficiency
For commercial buildings, a lot. For houses, the headline numbers carried over. For apartments, Section J stayed on the…
When do you need an SDA or an SMP?
When the council's local ESD policy asks for one. The thresholds are set council by council, and Clause 55 changed what…
What is BESS?
The Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard: a free online tool, built by Victorian councils, that shows how a…
7 star NatHERS requirements in Victoria
Since 1 May 2024, a new Victorian home rated through NatHERS needs at least 7 stars and a whole-of-home rating of at…
JV3 or Deemed-to-Satisfy: which Section J route?
Most projects use Deemed-to-Satisfy. The J1V3 reference building method, still called JV3 from its 2019 name, models…
When do you need a Green Travel Plan?
Usually with a Sustainability Management Plan, for larger developments. The council's ESD policy sets the size, and…
When do you need a construction management plan?
When the planning permit says so, or the council's local law asks for one. Each council sets its own triggers and its…
Which reports does my job need?
The usual list, from each council’s planning scheme and website.
Step 2: a quote or fee proposal for this list. Name and email are enough; the drawings can come later.
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A quick quote from your plans, before any work starts.
Quick quote from your plans. Planning and residential reports within 48 hours; Section J, CMP and GTP within 72 hours.
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See which reports your job needs, then get the quote for that list.
- What will it cost?
- A quick quote from your plans, before any work starts.
- Will council accept it?
- Every report is written to the council’s own policy or the NCC edition that applies.
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