The deemed to comply standards under Clause 55 that commenced on 31 March 2025 were revised to make the approval of the development of two or more dwellings on a lot and residential buildings up to and including three storeys more efficient and predictable.
In some standards, minor revisions have been made that may be overlooked but that have a role in aiding the ability to meet the standards. This is the case in standards B4-4 Overlooking and B4-5 Internal Views.
The objective of the previous standard B22 and current standard B4-4 Overlooking is to limit views into existing secluded private open space and habitable room windows. To achieve this, in the previous standard B22 views were to be obstructed from a habitable room window, balcony, terrace, deck or patio.
In the new standard B4-4, a podium is included in the list of where views are to be obstructed from and a bedroom is specifically excluded from the definition of a habitable room as it applies to this standard. Generally, the design of building typologies covered by clause 55 would consist of bedrooms on the first floor at the side and rear of buildings that would overlook into existing secluded private open space and habitable room windows.
The objective of the previous standard B23 and current standard B4-5 is to limit views into the secluded private open space and habitable room windows of dwellings and residential buildings within a development. Similarly, a bedroom is excluded from the definition of a habitable room as it applies to this standard.
In both instances, it is likely that a bedroom would be a highly representative typology of habitable room that would require screening to prevent overlooking and is no longer required.
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