The DBP Act introduced mandatory registration for design and building practitioners working on regulated buildings, and requires that regulated designs — including designs for building enclosures and facades — be lodged on the NSW Planning Portal with Design Compliance Declarations before building work commences.
Key DBP Act requirements relevant to facade and window systems:
- Facade and building enclosure work is a regulated building element under the DBP Act
- Registered design practitioners must prepare regulated designs for facade elements and declare compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA)
- Design Compliance Declarations must be lodged on the NSW Planning Portal before building work commences
- Variations to regulated designs must be re-declared and lodged within one day of the varied work commencing
- A Building Compliance Declaration must be lodged before application for an Occupation Certificate
Currently applies to:
- All new and existing Class 2 buildings and mixed-use buildings with a Class 2 part
- New Class 3 and 9c buildings (from 3 July 2023)
- Alteration and renovation work on existing Class 3 and 9c buildings (from 1 July 2026)
The RAB Act gives the NSW Building Commissioner broad enforcement powers over regulated residential apartment buildings, including powers to inspect buildings during construction and for up to ten years after completion, issue stop work and rectification orders, and require developers to give notice of intended completion at least six months before applying for an Occupation Certificate.
The RAB Act operates alongside the DBP Act — together they require that documentation, certification and compliance declarations are in place across the full design and construction lifecycle.
Under the DBP Act, the building enclosure — which includes external windows, doors and facade systems — is explicitly defined as a regulated building element. This means:
- Facade window and door systems must be covered by regulated designs prepared by a registered design practitioner
- The designs must demonstrate compliance with the BCA, including structural performance, weather resistance and energy performance requirements
- Product certification and testing documentation supporting the regulated design must be available for lodgement and audit purposes
- Any substitution of specified products during construction requires a revised regulated design and new Design Compliance Declaration before work on the variation commences
Hunter Windows supplies product certification, test certificates and technical documentation that supports the registered design practitioner in preparing and declaring regulated facade designs.
Hunter Windows supports compliance requirements across the full documentation chain for facade and window systems:
- Product certification — AS2047 certification for structural performance, water penetration resistance and air infiltration, applicable to the window and door systems specified for the project
- Testing documentation — test certificates available by system and series, confirming tested performance levels for specific AWS Elevate products
- WERS ratings — verified U-value and SHGC data for energy compliance modelling and NCC Section J assessment
- BAL certification — BAL-40 certification documentation for projects in designated bushfire-prone areas
- Fabrication traceability — full traceability from product specification through fabrication and delivery, supporting DBP Act documentation requirements
- Variation support — where product variations arise during construction, Hunter Windows can provide updated certification and documentation to support revised regulated designs
- Occupation Certificate documentation — compiled product certification and test certificate packages to support Building Compliance Declaration lodgement and Occupation Certificate requirements
Compliance and documentation support from Hunter Windows is relevant to:
- Multi-residential apartment buildings (Class 2) — new construction and renovation
- Mixed-use developments with a Class 2, 3 or 9c part
- Aged care, boarding house and residential care buildings (Class 3 and 9c) — new construction
- Commercial and high-rise projects where facade systems form a regulated building element
- Any NSW project where windows and doors are part of a regulated facade design scope
When specifying window and door systems for DBP Act regulated projects, early consideration of the following supports a smoother compliance pathway:
- Product certification alignment — confirm that the specified system carries the certifications required by the regulated design before documentation is finalised; substitutions after Design Compliance Declaration lodgement require re-declaration
- Performance specification — ensure the specified system’s tested performance levels match the performance requirements stated in the regulated design
- Traceability requirements — confirm documentation requirements with the registered design practitioner and certifier at the outset; Hunter Windows can advise on what is available for each system
- Variation management — any change to the specified window or door system during construction is a variation to the regulated design; early engagement with Hunter Windows when variations arise reduces programme risk
- Occupation Certificate timing — allow sufficient time for compiled documentation packages to be prepared; Hunter Windows recommends engaging on documentation requirements at least six weeks before an Occupation Certificate application is anticipated
