Termite protection requirements for a new Adelaide house

When Part 3.4 applies

The South Australian variations listed on the ABCB’s Housing Provisions index, read on 28 September 2026, do not include Part 3.4, and the South Australian schedule to NCC 2022 Volume Two does not vary H1D3, the clause under which compliance with Part 3.4 satisfies Performance Requirement H1P1 for termite risk management. That schedule does insert SA H5P3, which requires the space between buildings to be sufficient to allow access for inspection and maintenance to avoid hazardous conditions arising from an accumulation of rubbish that could bridge termite barriers, harbour vermin or create a fire hazard; SA H5D4 sets out the deemed-to-satisfy minimum space between buildings.

Clause 3.4.1(1) sets two conditions, joined by “and”. The Part applies where a Class 1 or 10 building is constructed in an area where subterranean termites are known to present a potential risk of attack, and where a primary building element of that building is considered susceptible to termite attack.

The first condition is about place. The Part itself does not list which areas are at risk. Its explanatory information says termites are not considered a risk in Tasmania and a lesser risk in parts of Victoria, and that the appropriate authority may have records of termite activity for each area and may be able to advise whether termite risk management is needed. For a particular Adelaide address, that is where the question goes; this page does not answer it.

Which elements count, and which materials are treated as not at risk

The second condition is about the building. For Part 3.4, the NCC glossary defines a primary building element as a member of a building designed specifically to take part of the building loads, including roof, ceiling, floor, stairway or ramp and wall framing members, and bracing members designed to brace them.

Clause 3.4.1(2) lists materials from which a primary building element, consisting entirely of or a combination of them, is considered not subject to termite attack: steel, aluminium or other metals; concrete; masonry; fibre-reinforced cement; timber that is naturally termite resistant in accordance with Appendix C of AS 3660.1; and timber preservative treated in accordance with Appendix D of AS 3660.1.

The explanatory information adds two qualifications. Where only some primary building elements are susceptible, only those elements need a termite management system. And although masonry is not subject to attack, termites may gain entry through mortar and other joints. The test is applied element by element, so the material of the wall frame does not by itself answer it for the roof.

What a termite management system has to do

Where a system is required, clause 3.4.2 states that it must be selected appropriate to Table 3.4.2; comply with AS 3660.1, or have been tested and passed the tests required by Section 5 of AS 3660.3; have a durable notice installed in accordance with 3.4.3; and, where a chemical system is used, use a chemical included on the appropriate authority’s pesticides register. The explanatory information notes that a chemical system relying on AS 3660.3 test results has to be installed as tested for those results to remain valid.

Table 3.4.2 is organised by building element. For the slab perimeter or external wall perimeter of a concrete slab-on-ground, the options listed are slab edge exposure, sheet material, granular material or chemical. For penetrations, control joints and the area beneath the slab, and for suspended floors, they are sheet material, granular material or chemical. For attachments to buildings, the table lists a termite management system to the attachment, or an inspection zone between the attachment and the building.

The table note carries a condition worth reading twice: the entire area beneath the slab must be treated when the slab-on-ground is not designed and constructed in accordance with AS 2870 or AS 3600.

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Components, attachments and the edges of a system

The explanatory information distinguishes a component from a full system. A concrete slab used as a component does not in itself provide a complete termite management system; depending on construction method and site conditions, service penetrations through the slab need their own measures, and it is these components together that form the full system.

Attachments, as the explanatory information lists them, include downpipes, service pipes, steps, verandahs, porches, access ramps, carports, trellises, decks, heated water systems, air-conditioners and the like. Table 3.4.2 treats attachments as a building element of their own, with the two options set out above.

The durable notice

Clause 3.4.3 requires a durable notice permanently fixed to the building in a prominent location, such as a meter box, stating the termite management system used; the date of installation; 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 explanatory information to clause 3.4.3 says the notice advises the building occupants that the system should be inspected and maintained, and should be located where it can be easily seen and read by future owners. The explanatory information to clause 3.4.2 states that a system’s effectiveness relies, in addition to correct installation, on regular maintenance and competent inspection.

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