Termite Risk Management Requirements in the Building Code of Australia

The Building Code of Australia states that if primary building elements in new building work (including extensions) are susceptible to termite attack, protective measures must be taken. If there is no potential risk, then no protective measures
are necessary. Tasmania is the only state where no protective measures are necessary.

Termite resistant primary elements are those specifically designed to take building loads. If these elements are constructed of one or a combination of termite resistant materials, no other termite risk management is required by the BCA (although this leaves other parts of the building unprotected). Materials deemed to satisfy this requirement include concrete, masonry, steel (and other metals) as well as treated timbers and naturally resistant timbers. Details on these timbers are specified in Australian Standard AS3660.1 and a summarised list is in Appendix A. Manufacturers of treated timbers can also provide details relating to their products.

Fig. 1: Resistant materials approach

Termite management systems are another method accepted under the BCA. This approach focuses on heading termites off when they come out of the ground by using termite barriers to deter concealed entry into buildings. This approach tends to be more popular than termite resistant materials because of its ability to address the whole of the house, not just the primary structural elements. Barrier systems deemed to satisfy BCA requirements are in Australian Standard AS3660.1.

Fig 2: Barrier approach

Alternative solutions are also possible under the BCA’s performance requirements. Under this approach, approval authorities can assess whether a system complies with the BCA by using a number of recognised assessment methods (check the BCA for details and ensure suppliers of such systems have documentary proof of BCA certification).

The BCA requires that a notice be fixed permanently to the building in a prominent location (e.g. the meter box) providing information about the termite management system used. The notice must be of durable material, and include the specific method, date of installation, the registered life expectancy of chemicals (if used), and the installer’s recommended scope and frequency of termite inspections.

Fig 3: Typical termite management system notice

In addition to the above, variations to the BCA occur due to state/territory specifi c requirements. The Northern Territory and Queensland are two such cases where variations place extra conditions on the use of termite resistant materials, barrier systems, and the requirements for termite management notices. A summary is provided in Appendix B. The BCA should
be consulted for specific details.