NCC Part D4, access for people with a disability: a clause-by-clause guide for NSW
NCC Volume One Part D4 holds the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions for access. It sets which buildings and parts must be accessible, plus parking, signage, hearing augmentation, tactile ground surface indicators, assembly seating, pools, ramps and glazing. In NSW, building work is assessed against NCC 2022 Amendment 2, in effect since 29 July 2025. NSW adopts NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027.
Which edition applies in NSW right now
NCC 2022 Amendment 2 has been in effect since 29 July 2025. It aligned the NCC with the amended Premises Standards that reference AS 1428.1:2021. NSW adopts NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027. Victoria and Western Australia adopted NCC 2025 from 1 May 2026, so do not export those dates to a NSW certificate. Name the edition in every access report and Performance Solution, and confirm it with the Principal Certifier. See NCC 2025 adoption in NSW for the transition detail.
How Part D4 fits with the Premises Standards and the DDA
The Disability (Access to Premises, Buildings) Standards 2010 contain the Access Code. Part D4 mirrors it, so a Deemed-to-Satisfy compliant building gets the Premises Standards' protection for the matters they cover. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 still applies to matters the Standards do not cover. For the hardship test see unjustifiable hardship in NSW.
Part D4 clause map
The table below maps each D4D clause to its 2019 D3 equivalent, what it triggers, the Standard it calls up, and the Sydney Access Consultants page that goes deeper. All 2019 equivalents were confirmed against the NCC 2022 online Part D4 page.
| Clause | Title | 2019 equivalent | What it triggers | Standard called up | Go deeper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D4D1 | Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions | D3.0 | Says which DtS clauses satisfy the Part D1 access Performance Requirements. | n/a | What is an NCC Performance Solution |
| D4D2 | General building access requirements | D3.1 | Which classes and parts must be accessible (Class 1b ratios, Class 2 common areas, Class 3 accessible SOUs, Class 5 to 9 normally used areas). | Tables D4D2a/b | SDA building types and NCC classification |
| D4D3 | Access to buildings | D3.2 | Accessway from allotment boundary, accessible parking and linked buildings; principal pedestrian entrance plus at least 50% of entrances; 850 mm leaf on multi-leaf doorways. | AS 1428.1 | Door circulation space AS 1428, Door opening requirements |
| D4D4 | Parts of buildings to be accessible | D3.3 | Ramps (AS 1428.1 cl 10), stairways (cl 11), lifts (E3D7/E3D8), passing spaces at max 20 m where no line of sight, turning spaces within 2 m of dead ends and every 20 m, limited lift/ramp concession for small Class 5/6/7b/8. | AS 1428.1 | Accessible stairways AS 1428, Ramp handrails and kerb rails |
| D4D5 | Exemptions | D3.4 | Areas where access is inappropriate or poses a health or safety risk, and paths serving only those areas. | n/a | D4D5 exemptions |
| D4D6 | Accessible carparking | D3.5 | Number of accessible spaces by class; compliance with AS/NZS 2890.6; signage concession at 5 or fewer spaces. | AS/NZS 2890.6 | Accessible car parking NSW |
| D4D7 | Signage | D3.6 | Braille and tactile signs (Spec 15) for sanitary facilities, hearing-augmented spaces and exit doors; left/right-hand and ambulant signage. | Spec 15, AS 1428.1 | When do buildings need tactile signage |
| D4D8 | Hearing augmentation | D3.7 | Where an inbuilt amplification system is installed (Class 9b rooms, auditoria, meeting rooms, screened counters): loop to 80% of floor area or receivers to 95%, with receiver numbers by capacity. | AS 1428.5 | Hearing augmentation NCC, Reception counters AS 1428 |
| D4D9 | Tactile indicators | D3.8 | TGSIs at stairways, escalators, travelators, ramps (not step/kerb/pool ramps), overhead obstructions under 2 m, and accessway-to-vehicular-way crossings without a kerb; aged/health concession for dome-button handrails. | AS/NZS 1428.4.1 | TGSI compliance audits Sydney, Tactile ground surface indicators |
| D4D10 | Wheelchair seating spaces in Class 9b assembly buildings | D3.9 | Number and grouping of wheelchair spaces. | AS 1428.1 | Gym and gymnasium NCC classification access, Places of worship access reports NSW |
| D4D11 | Swimming pools | D3.10 | At least 1 accessible water entry/exit (Spec 16) where the pool must be accessible; pools over 70 m perimeter need a ramp, zero-depth or platform-lift option. | Spec 16 | No dedicated page yet |
| D4D12 | Ramps | D3.11 | Series of connected ramps max 3.6 m combined rise; step-ramp landing overlap rule. | AS 1428.1 | Ramp handrails and kerb rails |
| D4D13 | Glazing on an accessway | D3.12 | Frameless/fully glazed doors, sidelights and glazing that could be mistaken for an opening must be marked per AS 1428.1. | AS 1428.1 | Visual indicators on glazed doors, Luminance contrast AS 1428 |
What Part D4 does not cover (and where it lives instead)
- Accessible sanitary facilities and showers: Part F4 (F4D5 to F4D7) plus AS 1428.1. See disabled toilet regulations NSW.
- Accessible adult change facilities: Specification 27. See accessible adult change facilities.
- All-gender facilities under NCC 2025: see all-gender sanitary facilities NCC 2025.
- Lifts: Part E3 (E3D7/E3D8), called up by D4D4.
- Livable housing (Class 1a / Class 2 sole-occupancy units): Parts G7/H8 and the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard. NSW has not adopted these. See livable housing and livable housing design NCC 2022. Sydney Access Consultants does not hold Livable Housing assessor registration.
- Inside a Class 2 sole-occupancy unit: outside Part D4 and the Premises Standards. Specialist Disability Accommodation is a separate NDIS product. See SDA certification.
Does Part D4 apply to my building? Quick answers by class
Class 1a houses
No Part D4 obligation.
Class 1b (short-term holiday dwellings, B&Bs, boarding houses)
Ratio and one-bedroom rules apply.
Class 2 apartments
Common areas only, not inside sole-occupancy units.
Class 3 hotels and motels
Accessible sole-occupancy unit ratios, dispersal, and alternating left/right-handed sanitary.
Class 5 to 9
Areas normally used, subject to D4D5 exemptions.
When a design cannot meet a D4 clause
A Performance Solution against the relevant Part D1 Performance Requirements, documented under A2G2, is one path. See performance solutions and what is an NCC Performance Solution. D4D5 exemptions are narrow and are not a cost lever. See the D4D5 exemptions page. For existing buildings the new part and affected part rules apply. See change of use and fit-out access NSW.
What a certifier expects to see against Part D4 in an access report
One status per clause (complies / capable subject to detail / non-compliant / insufficient information). Name the edition. See what certifiers want in an access report, DA vs CC access report, and access reports for DA, CC and CDC.
Answer-ready questions
What does NCC Part D4 cover?
NCC Volume One Part D4, Access for people with a disability, holds the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions for access. It sets which buildings and parts must be accessible (D4D2), accessways and entrances (D4D3), ramps, stairs, lifts and passing and turning spaces (D4D4), exemptions (D4D5), accessible carparking (D4D6), braille and tactile signage (D4D7), hearing augmentation (D4D8), tactile ground surface indicators (D4D9), wheelchair seating in Class 9b assembly buildings (D4D10), swimming pools (D4D11), ramps on accessways (D4D12) and glazing on accessways (D4D13). Most details call up AS 1428.1.
Which edition of Part D4 applies in NSW?
NSW building work is assessed against NCC 2022 Amendment 2, in effect since 29 July 2025. NSW adopts NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027, a year after Victoria and Western Australia. Name the edition in every access report and Performance Solution, and confirm it with the Principal Certifier for the specific certificate.
What was Part D4 called before NCC 2022?
Before NCC 2022 the same access provisions sat in Part D3 of the BCA, numbered D3.1 to D3.12. For example, D3.8 tactile indicators is now D4D9, and D3.12 glazing on an accessway is now D4D13. Older DCPs, reports and checklists still use the D3 numbers.
Does Part D4 apply to a Class 1a house or inside a Class 2 apartment?
No. Class 1a houses have no Part D4 obligation. Inside a Class 2 sole-occupancy unit is outside Part D4 and the Premises Standards.
How many entrances must be accessible (D4D3)?
The principal pedestrian entrance plus at least 50 per cent of entrances, with an accessway from the allotment boundary and from accessible parking.
What happens if a design cannot meet a D4 Deemed-to-Satisfy clause?
A Performance Solution against the relevant Part D1 Performance Requirements, or a D4D5 exemption where it genuinely applies. D4D5 is narrow.
Need a Part D4 check on DA or CC drawings? Call Sydney Access Consultants on (02) 9586 3111.
Links checked against live site files before pack.