BASIX®  Certificate   Centre

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The BASIX® Certificate Centre can provide you with the following professional services:

• BASIX® Certificates
• Thermal Comfort Certificates
  (Also referred to as Thermal Performance or Simulation Method)
• Section J Reports
  
  See how to obtain your BASIX® or Thermal Comfort certificates
  or your Section J Report

About BASIX®

On 1st July 2004 the NSW Government implemented the Building Sustainability Index (commonly referred to as BASIX® - more info).

The BASIX® online index sets compulsory design standards for the whole of NSW with the purpose of reducing the use of potable water and to produce less greenhouse gas emissions.

Being consultants, we will provide you with a BASIX® Certificate (from $55.00), listing the BASIX® requirements for all new development applications associated with residential construction, such as:

What is a BASIX® Certificate?

A BASIX® Certificate forms part of the documentation you will need to submit to council if you are applying for a Development Application for one of the above categories within NSW. The BASIX® Certificate or BASIX® (The Building Sustainability Index), is generated online using the website owned and maintained by the NSW Government, Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

The BASIX® Certificate comprises of three sections:

To achieve a pass for the BASIX® Certificate, there are specific targets or percentages that must be reached for Water & Energy, which is 40% for most areas and less for others, because it is based on local climate conditions.

(Changes proposed to increase targets to 50% - See Government website - Exhibition end 14-02-14)

For the Thermal Comfort section, BASIX® allows three options in order to pass:

At the BASIX® Certificate Centre, the majority of BASIX® Certificates will include the Simulation Method for new homes, because over the years we have found this method allows for a more accurate simulation of your home, taking into account many aspects of the design that are not possible in the other two methods.  And although this method can make the BASIX® Certificate more expensive, we have found in the majority of cases the additional expense is saved during construction because of the choices available in selecting materials and insulation.

BASIX® Certificates needed for more then one new dwelling, like Dual Occupancy, Duplex or Units, the Simulation Method is the only option available. 

Before we finalise the BASIX® Certificate, we provide our clients with a BASIX® Report, which is a draft copy of the BASIX® requirements.  It is at this time that we ask our clients to read through the commitments and let us know if any changes are required before we complete the BASIX® Certificate.

When the BASIX® Certificate is complete, the date plus the certificate number are shown on the front page of the BASIX® Certificate. You then have three months to submit the BASIX® Certificate to council, and if this time is exceeded, the BASIX® Certificate must be reissued.

Changes can be made to the BASIX® Certificate once certified, however fees can apply, and this is one of the reasons our office provides clients with the BASIX® Report.

How much does a BASIX® Certificate cost?

BASIX® Certificates from our office, ready for council submission, will range from:

• BASIX® Certificate Swimming Pools & Spas ..............   $  55.00

• BASIX® Certificate Alterations & Additions from .........   $   99.00

• BASIX® Certificate New Homes from   .......................   $ 220.00

• BASIX® Certificate Dual Occupancy, Multi Units etc ...   P.O.A.

          The above fees exclude the Government charges as outlined below.

For the majority of projects, we will provide a BASIX® Certificate Fee Proposal, free of charge.  This may only apply to BASIX® Certificates relating to Alterations, New Homes, and Multi Units.  BASIX® Certificates for Swimming Pools has a fixed base rate (more information).
 

Government charges from 1st July 2011 for BASIX® Certificates

On 1st July 2011 the NSW Department of Planning who maintain BASIX® introduced a fee of $50.00 for generating BASIX® Certificates, which applies to all new homes.  A fee will also apply for BASIX® Certificates relating to Multi-Unit developments and this is calculated on a sliding scale.

 

On the 30th September 2011 the introduction of a $25.00 fee for Alterations & Additions, plus Swimming Pools and Spas that require a BASIX® Certificate was also introduced by the department maintaining BASIX® .

 

BASIX® Certificates are valid for three months from the date they were issued and if not submitted to council within this time for Development Approval will become invalid and a further fee will need to be paid the NSW Department of Planning to validate the BASIX® Certificate.

 

It is important to note the BASIX® Reports (a draft copy of the BASIX® requirements) can be produced without a charge from the government. Government fees do not attract GST, however, as an ATO requirement, our costs must to include GST and may be refunded by the ATO to the end user.

BASIX® and NCC

The NCC or National Construction Code (formerly BCA or Building Code of Australia) is a set of codes produced and maintained by the Australian Building Codes Board, referred to a ABCB. These codes set minimum national standards for health, safety, amenity and sustainability.  Thermal Performance is but one of the minimum standards within the NCC and in 2011 the minimum target for Thermal Performance was raised to 6 Star.

However, all States and Territories have yet to adopt this 6 Star minimum, with New South Wales being one of the states still to set a date to implement this. For NSW, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure controls BASIX® and the implementation of the Star rating requirements.

With BASIX®, the current minimum thermal performance is approximately 4 Star.  However, when BASIX® does implement a change to their current Thermal Comfort requirements, it may not be to 6 Stars.  With the past increases set by the NCC, BASIX® had not immediately implemented the increases. 

However, NSW Planing & Infrastructure (Formally the Department of Planning) are proposing changes to the current requirements, and propose an increase to the Thermal Comfort requirements of BASIX.  This change would increase the requirements to Sydney (Zone 56) to approximately 5 Stars.

For more information go to the government website and the exhibition period was to end on 31st January 2014, but has been extended to 14th February 2014.

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BASIX® Certificate Centre …………... working together for a better future

"BASIX® is a registered trade mark of NSW Department of Planning and is reproduced here under licence. 
The services provided by Peter Waller and BASIX Certificate Centre are not in any way endorsed by or
otherwise associated with the NSW Department of Planning."

Copyright © 2016 BASIX® Certificate Centre. All rights reserved.

Revised: 10-Jan-2016.

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