Approvals & Compliance Blog | giantA Pty Ltd

11 Articles

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NSW Swimming Pool Barrier Compliance Guide 2026: AS 1926.1 Changes, Approval Pathways & Costs

What Are the NSW Swimming Pool Barrier Requirements in 2026? Every swimming pool and spa in NSW capable of holding water to a depth of 300mm or more must be surrounded by a child-resistant barrier tha...

Approval Process CDC Council Approval DA approval NSW building regulations cdc-approval nsw-building-compliance

Sep 4, 2026

Embodied Carbon Reporting in NSW 2026: How the March Technical Note and NABERS Tool Change Your DA Process

From 1 October 2023, every new residential development application in NSW has been required to report embodied carbon emissions through the BASIX Materials Index. Non-residential developments face a p...

BASIX NABERS NSW Planning embodied emissions energy efficiency nsw-building-compliance sustainability sustainable-building

Sep 1, 2026

Design and Building Practitioners Act 2021: What Apartment Developers Must Know

Design and Building Practitioners Act 2021: What Apartment Developers Must Know Author: Franz Phan, Registered Design Practitioner (NSW DBP Act 2020), Director of giantA Pty Ltd — 15+ years experience...

apartment-design class-2-building design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance

Aug 24, 2026

BASIX Solar PV and Battery Storage NSW 2026: Energy Compliance and the Emergency Backstop

Introduction: Solar PV Is Now Central to BASIX Energy Compliance When BASIX first launched in 2004, a rainwater tank and a solar hot water system were enough to sail through compliance. Two decades la...

BASIX basix-certification basix-compliance energy efficiency energy-efficiency energy-efficient-design nsw-building-compliance solar PV

Aug 22, 2026

Waterproofing in Class 2 Buildings: NSW Compliance Requirements Under the DBP Act and BCA Section F

By Franz Phan, Registered Design Practitioner (NSW) — 15+ years in multi-residential design and building compliance Introduction Waterproofing is the single most prevalent serious defect in NSW apartm...

apartment-design class-2-building dbp-act design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance

Aug 21, 2026

NSW Construction Certificate 2026: Complete Guide to the Building Approval Process After Your DA

NSW Construction Certificate 2026: Complete Guide to the Building Approval Process After Your DA What Is a Construction Certificate and When Do You Need One? A Construction Certificate (CC) is a manda...

Approval Process NSW Planning cc-approval da-approval nsw-building-compliance nsw-construction

Aug 19, 2026

Class 2 Building Compliance Documentation: What Developers Must Lodge on the NSW Planning Portal

Introduction Every Class 2 apartment development in NSW now carries a documentation obligation that did not exist before 1 July 2021. The Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 introduced a mandat...

apartment-design class-2-building dbp-act design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance regulated-design

Aug 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown: Class 2 Building Design Fees vs Construction Costs Sydney 2026

Author: Franz Phan, Registered Design Practitioner (Class 2 buildings), Senior Planning Consultant — 15+ years experience in NSW residential development Published: 13 August 2026 Reading time: ~9 minu...

NSW building regulations apartment-design class-2-building construction-costs dbp-act design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance nsw-construction property-development

Aug 12, 2026

Common Class 2 Building Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Common Class 2 Building Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them By Franz Phan, Registered Design Practitioner (DBP Act 2020), Senior Planning Consultant — 15+ years experience in NSW residential develop...

apartment-design class-2-building dbp-act design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance regulated-design

Aug 9, 2026

Class 2 Building Approval Pathways: DA vs CDC for Apartments in NSW (2026)

Class 2 Building Approval Pathways: DA vs CDC for Apartments in NSW (2026) By Franz Phan, Registered Design Practitioner, giantA Pty Ltd If you are developing a multi-unit residential building in New ...

apartment-design class-2-building design-practitioner multi-residential nsw-building-compliance

Jul 30, 2026

Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Ratings Explained: What NSW Homeowners Must Know Before Building in 2026

Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Ratings Explained: What NSW Homeowners Must Know Before Building in 2026 Building on bushfire-prone land in New South Wales is not just about design ambition; it is about u...

Approval Process NSW building regulations cdc-approval da-application new-south-wales nsw-building-compliance

Jul 20, 2026