It is the Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA)view that rainwater storage tanks, where they are self-supporting and stand-alone, are not classifiable structures under the Building Code of Australia, Volumes 1 or 2 of the National Construction Code. The Building Regulations 2006 provide an exemption from the requirement to obtain a building permit for a building or structure that cannot be classified under the BCA. This means that a building permit is not required in the situations as noted above. A planning permit may possibly be required for the installation of a rainwater storage tank.
However if the rainwater storage tanks are:
- Contained within or on a proposed building, then the structural adequacy of the building would need to be considered under the application for a building permit for that building
- Proposed to be supported by an existing building, a building permit would be required because the proposed building work would be an alteration to that building with potential structural adequacy implications
It should also be noted that like heating equipment, cooling equipment and domestic fuel tanks, rainwater storage tanks are allowable encroachments into certain setbacks under Part 4 of the Regulations subject to depth and/or height limitations
As is normally the case with construction sites, the Victorian WorkCover Authority is the governing agency administering the safety legislation relating to construction practices and it is the responsibility of the relevant building surveyor to classify a building (or determine that it is unclassifiable) for which they have received an application for a building permit.
For further and more comprehensive information about building permit requirements for rainwater storage tanks please contact the Victorian Building Authority.
Related Tags: Victorian Home Extensions
