Second review of the Premises Standards 2010: survey

I have hyperacusis (extreme sensitivity to noise) and heat-sensitivity (e.g. heat stress). My main issues are:
1. noise levels are too loud
2. often a lot of buildings are too hot, particularly in the common areas of apartment lobbies.
3. fragrances and other chemical smells

This is an issue for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who have energy-limiting illnesses: http://www.drilluk.org.uk/documents/2020/04/full-report-energy-impairment-and-disability-inclusion.pdf

1. Energy-efficiency of building codes. As climate change increases, buildings will get hotter in summer and colder in winter, thereby worsening the health of people with chronic health conditions.

2. Lower the acoustics so as to reduce noise. Perhaps the walls and flooring could include noise-muffling materials.

3. Minimise chemicals and fragrances.

4. Improve the number of disability parking spots to be commensurate with the forecasted population of people with disabilities. Establish robust monitoring and complaints processes to avoid able-bodied people from illegally parking in those spots. Currently 1 in 5 people has a disability. That number will grow.

5. Widen all elevators, hallways, floor space and doorways to enable accessibility for mobility scooters.

6. Provide more seating areas in common areas so that people with energy-limiting disabilities can rest in-between walking.

7. Keep decor to simple patterns. Avoid using 'psychedelic' patterns (like they have in a lot of RSL and gaming room lobbies) - the busy patterns are known to trigger symptoms among people with autism and dementia.

8. Include people with disability as part of your project team, not just as external, occasional focus group stakeholders. 'Nothing about us, without us.'

The complaints options are unclear and when clear, are highly cumbersome/prohibitive. When I have lodged a complaint to the shopping mall property manager, I was then sent on a wild goose chase to the Brisbane City Council and then the QLD Police. I lodged a formal complaint about illegal parking in disability parking spots but never heard back whether the complaint was properly dealt with.

Not Answered

Not Answered

Thank-you for this review.

Please ensure that your proposed plans are based upon the future forecasts of the population of people with disability as well as future assumptions of climate change. Using forecasts could help to ensure that the building codes are appropriate to future changing circumstances.

Furthermore, since people with disability are a diverse group, I recommend that you consult with a diverse range of people with disability patient groups. Even better, include people with disability as paid employees as part of your project team.

I also recommend that you contact Dr. Ilan Wiesel, School of Geography, The University of Melbourne. He led the "Lived experience and social, health and economic
impacts of inaccessible housing: Report submitted to the Australian Building Codes
Board RIS, 31 August 2020." I have uploaded a copy of his report. While I recognise that your review is not about residential homes, many of the findings of his report are applicable.