This information was authored by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. The policy functions transferred to the Treasury in May 2025.
The Premises Standards ensure that new buildings, or new work on old buildings, provide the right levels of access for people with disability.
On this page
The Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) is legislated under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
The purpose of the Premises Standards is to make sure:
- people with disability (and their family members, carers and friends) have equal access to public buildings
- building certifiers, developers and managers fulfil their responsibilities to people with disability under the Act.
The standards came into effect on 1 May 2011. They apply to building work after this date.
The Premises Standards specify how public buildings must provide access for people living with disability.
State and territory governments adopt the Premises Standards into their building codes.
Read the Premises Standards reviews
We review the Premises Standards every 5 years.
Each review:
- checks if the Premises Standards are achieving their objectives
- identifies changes to improve them.
Premises Standards Review 2021 - A review of the Disability (Access to Premises - Building) Standards 2010.
Premises Standards Review 2016 - First legislative review and government response.
Australian Standards
The Premises Standards and National Construction Code (NCC) also reference Australian Standards. You can access Australian Standards for non-commercial use through public libraries and some university libraries. Non-commercial access is universally understood to be for personal, domestic or household use.
Contact us
Contact us if you have complex needs or issues accessing Australian Standards referenced in the Premises Standards or NCC for non-commercial use. We can provide advice and assistance.
PremisesStandards@industry.gov.au
Post
Building Policy Team
GPO Box 2013
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia