termitebarrier.com.au · Sheet 02
Sheet 02The notice
The durable termite notice, line by line
The durable notice is the building’s own record of its termite protection: clause 3.4.3 of the code requires it to be permanently fixed to the building in a prominent location, such as the meter box. It must state the system used, the date it was installed, a chemical’s life expectancy as listed on the register label where a chemical is used, and what the installer or manufacturer recommends about how often, and how thoroughly, it should be inspected for termites.
General information, not building advice. The official place to check is clause 3.4.3 of the code, linked at the foot of this page.
The clause, word for word
NCC 2022 Housing Provisions, 3.4.3 Durable notice“A durable notice must be permanently fixed to the building in a prominent location, such as in a meter box or the like, indicating
ABCB, Part 3.4 Termite risk management
- the termite management system used; and
- the date of installation of the system; and
- where a chemical is used, its life expectancy as listed on the appropriate authority’s register label; and
- the installer’s or manufacturer’s recommendations for the scope and frequency of future inspections for termite activity.”
The code’s explanatory note adds what the notice is for and how it should be made. It must advise the people in the building that the system should be inspected and maintained. It should be written clearly, on a material made to last without fading, and placed in or near the electrical meter box or a similar spot where future owners can easily see and read it. The person placing it may add more information if they wish.
The four lines, one at a time
Drawn below as a blank, so the fields stand out. Real notices vary in layout; the code fixes what they say, not how they look.
- Termite management system used
- Date of installation
- Chemical life expectancy (register label)
- Recommended inspections: scope and frequency
Field names paraphrase clause 3.4.3. Not a form to copy.
1. The system used
This line names the method. QBCC’s booklet says owners should know what type of chemical or physical system was installed, for example a concrete slab, an exposed slab edge, metal shielding, stainless steel mesh or graded stone, whether termite-resistant materials were used, or what combination is in place. Sheet 03 draws each type in section.
2. The date of installation
The date matters most beside the next line. QBCC’s booklet says most chemicals used in termite management have a limited life span.
3. The chemical’s life expectancy
Where a chemical is used, the notice gives its life expectancy “as listed on the appropriate authority’s register label”. For the pesticides register, the code explains, that authority is the government body responsible for registering pesticides, and the APVMA currently coordinates the registration scheme. QBCC’s homeowner page words this line as the life expectancy listed on the APVMA label. The APVMA’s PubCRIS database lists every registered agricultural and veterinary chemical product, and many of its records set out the label’s particulars, including safety and use directions. Sheet 04 covers the register.
4. The recommended inspections
The last line carries the schedule. QBCC’s homeowner page puts it in plainer words: “how often you should have termite inspections, and what the inspector should check”. It also tells owners to meet their system’s maintenance requirement as stated on the notice, giving yearly top-ups for chemical barriers as an example. Sheet 05 sets out the upkeep.
The notice and the installer’s certificate
In Queensland, a second document may sit behind the notice. QBCC’s booklet says the building certifier may ask the licensed installer to certify the installation, and lists what that certificate should contain.
The durable notice
Required by the national code. Fixed to the building, written for the people who live in it and for every later owner. Four lines: the system, the date, a chemical’s life expectancy, the inspections.
The certificate, as QBCC describes it
A record for the building certifier. QBCC lists the date; the owner’s and builder’s names; the property’s location and real property description; a description of the building; details of the termite work done, with a diagram where appropriate; and the areas, in square metres, of the termite management procedures.
When the notice is missing or unreadable
Look in more than one place first. For Queensland homes, extensions and renovations since about 1980, a guide hosted by QBCC says the notice should be inside the meter box or, failing that, in the cupboard under the kitchen sink.
The notice is small, but it puts the system, its age and its upkeep together on the building itself, where the next owner can find them.