Access Report
An access report assesses your development against the accessibility requirements of the National Construction Code and the Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards 2010 - covering things like accessible paths of travel, entry points, sanitary facilities and car parking. It is routinely required for commercial, retail and multi-dwelling residential projects, and for any change of use that alters who the building needs to accommodate. We coordinate an access consultant and integrate the findings into your design before lodgement.
Free consultation
- 1–2 weeks
- Quoted per project - typically from $1,500 + GST
- Quoted fixed after a free scope check
Why this belongs early, not at the end
An access consultant looking at floor plans after the layout is locked in can usually only tell you what is wrong, not help you avoid it. Bringing access requirements into the design at concept stage - corridor widths, door clearances, the location of an accessible bathroom - is what avoids a late, expensive layout change.
Source: Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards 2010 (Cth); National Construction Code.
How it works
Classification and scope check
2–3 days
Confirm which access requirements apply based on the building's classification and proposed use.
Assessment
1 week
Access consultant assesses the design against the NCC and Premises Standards requirements.
Report and design integration
3–5 days
Findings integrated into the design, with any performance solution documented for council.
What we take off your hands
What EHUP handles
- Coordinating an access consultant suited to your building class
- Assessing accessible paths of travel, entries, sanitary facilities and parking
- Identifying access requirements early enough to influence the design, not just audit it
- Managing any performance-based alternative solution where full compliance is impractical
What you don't have to deal with
- An access requirement discovered after the layout is finalised
- A generic access statement that does not match your building's actual classification
Frequently asked questions
Which projects actually need an access report?
Most commercial, retail, health, education and multi-dwelling residential projects. Single dwelling houses and dual occupancies are generally exempt from the full Premises Standards requirements, though basic NCC access provisions can still apply.
What if full compliance is not physically possible on my site?
A performance-based alternative solution can be documented, showing an equivalent level of access achieved by different means. This needs to be justified by the access consultant, not simply asserted, and council or the certifier will expect that justification in the report.
Is this only about wheelchair access?
No. It covers the full range of accessibility needs - vision and hearing impairment, signage, tactile ground surface indicators, and accessible sanitary facilities, not only mobility access.
Related services
Business/Office Premises
Offices and business premises in commercial and business zones can often fit out with minor internal works under exempt or complying development, provided the use itself does not change.
Development Application (DA)
A Development Application is the merit-assessed approval pathway.
Specialist Reports
Most applications of any size need reports from specialists outside town planning.
Why clients choose EHUP
- 10+
- 250+
- 14
- 1
Not sure which approval you need?
Tell us the address and what you want to do. We'll help identify the appropriate planning pathway, whether it is exempt development, complying development or a full DA. Your first conversation is free.