AS 3745 vs NCC: Australian Emergency Compliance Guide

If you are a building owner, facility manager, or tenant in Australia, you have probably encountered two key references when it comes to emergency planning: AS 3745 and the NCC. They are related but different, and understanding how they work together will help you stay compliant without overcomplicating things.

What Is AS 3745?

Australian Standard AS 3745:2010 is titled "Planning for Emergencies in Facilities." It is the standard that covers how buildings should prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

AS 3745 covers:

• Establishing an Emergency Planning Committee (EPC)
• Writing an emergency plan for the facility
• Creating and installing evacuation diagrams
• Defining roles: Chief Warden, Floor Wardens, First Aid Officers
• Conducting evacuation exercises and drills
• Reviewing and updating the plan regularly

When people talk about "AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams," they are referring to the specific requirements in this standard for what a diagram must include, how large it must be, and where it must be placed.

What Is the NCC?

The National Construction Code (NCC) is Australia's primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings. It is maintained by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and is adopted by all states and territories.

The NCC is split into three volumes:

• Volume One: commercial buildings (Class 2 to 9)
• Volume Two: residential buildings (Class 1 and 10)
• Volume Three: plumbing and drainage

The NCC sets requirements for fire safety systems in buildings: fire exits, fire stairs, fire-rated walls, smoke detection, sprinkler systems, emergency lighting, and exit signs. It defines the physical infrastructure that makes evacuation possible.

How Do They Work Together?

Think of it this way:

• The NCC tells you how to build a safe building (exits, fire stairs, fire systems)
• AS 3745 tells you how to plan for emergencies in that building (diagrams, wardens, drills)

The NCC ensures your building has the right exits, fire doors, and safety systems. AS 3745 ensures that everyone in the building knows where those exits are and what to do when the alarm sounds.

You need both. A building with perfect fire exits but no evacuation diagrams is likely to fall short of its emergency planning duties. A building with perfect diagrams but blocked fire exits is dangerous.

Which One Requires Evacuation Diagrams?

Neither, on its own. AS 3745 is the standard that sets out what an evacuation diagram should show, and the NCC does not directly require evacuation diagrams. Where a duty exists, it comes from work health and safety law and, in some states, fire safety law.

The usual source is work health and safety law. Every workplace needs an emergency plan (regulation 43 of the model WHS Regulations; Victoria has its own OHS laws), and Safe Work Australia's model Code of Practice, Managing the Work Environment and Facilities, says that plan should include a displayed site plan showing fire equipment, emergency exits and assembly points. Some states go further: in Queensland the fire and evacuation plan must include an evacuation diagram, and diagrams must be on the wall once a building's total floor area reaches 300 m2 (Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, sections 21 and 30). Fire authorities, building managers and auditors then use AS 3745 as the benchmark for what a good diagram looks like.

State and Territory Variations

The NCC takes effect through each state and territory's building law, and AS 3745 applies only where a law picks it up. Fire safety maintenance law is also set state by state, and it mostly covers a building's fire safety measures. Queensland's regime names evacuation diagrams directly; elsewhere diagrams usually come in through the workplace emergency plan. The main instruments:

• NSW: Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation, Annual Fire Safety Statements
• VIC: Building Regulations, Essential Safety Measures (ESM) reports
• QLD: Fire Services Act 1990 and Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, fire and evacuation plans that include evacuation diagrams, and fire safety advisers for high occupancy buildings
• SA: Development Regulations, Essential Safety Provisions
• WA: Building Regulations 2012 (regulation 48A), owners of apartment and commercial buildings must keep safety measures working to the standard the building was approved under; nothing is lodged each year
• TAS: Building Regulations, Director's Determinations
• NT: Building Act, fire safety requirements
• ACT: Building Act, fire safety obligations

The specifics vary, but the pattern is the same: workplaces need an emergency plan, most plans use a diagram people can follow to show the way out, and both need regular review.

What About the Building Code of Australia (BCA)?

The BCA is the former name for what is now the NCC. You may still see references to "BCA" in older documents, leases, or fire safety reports. They refer to the same thing. The NCC replaced the BCA name in 2011, but the transition in everyday language has been slow.

What Building Owners Actually Need to Do

To cover the NCC, your legal emergency planning duties and AS 3745:

• Ensure your building meets NCC fire safety requirements (exits, fire systems, emergency lighting)
• Establish an Emergency Planning Committee or appoint an emergency coordinator
• Write an emergency plan for your facility
• Install AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams at all required locations
• Train wardens and conduct evacuation drills (at least annually)
• Review and update the plan after any building changes

For most building owners, the evacuation diagrams are the most visible and frequently checked element. They are also the easiest to get right.

Get Compliant Diagrams

EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for all building types across Australia. We work from your floor plans, so there is no site visit needed. Print-ready PDFs delivered in 3 to 5 business days.

Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Simple, transparent, and fully compliant.