Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in Australia
Two layers apply. Building approval: the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One Part E3 (Lift installations), adopted by each state and territory, requires electric and electrohydraulic passenger lifts to comply with Specification 24 and sets accessible-lift, emergency-lift, stretcher and fire-service requirements, referencing AS 1735.12 and AS 1735.11. Work health and safety: lifts are plant regulated by the state/territory WHS regulators under harmonised WHS Acts and Regulations (lift design registration), with the AS 1735 series as the technical standard; NSW additionally treats vertical transportation as a regulated design under the Design and Building Practitioners scheme.
Who regulates lifts
Australian Building Codes Board (NCC); state/territory building regulators and WHS regulators (e.g. SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe Queensland)
Periodic inspection
Not confirmed this session; there is no single national periodic inspection regime (state WHS duties and building maintenance/essential-safety-measure schemes differ).
Installer and maintenance licensing
Not confirmed this session; varies by state (electrical licensing for lift mechanics, NSW registered design practitioners for vertical transportation design).
Laws, codes and standards
- NCC Volume One Part E3 (incl. Specification 24) (2022) — National Construction Code - Building Code of Australia Volume One, Part E3 Lift installationsMandatory · Adopted by state/territory building legislation; E3D2: passenger lifts must comply with Specification 24; E3D5 emergency lifts; E3D8 accessible features; E3D11-12 fire service switches · Australian Building Codes Board
- AS 1735.1 (2016) — Lifts, escalators and moving walks - Part 1: General requirementsSuperseded · Standards Australia (committee ME-004)
- AS 1735.1.1 (2022) — Lifts, escalators and moving walks - General requirements (Part 1.1)Voluntary · Called up via WHS plant duties / NCC Specification 24 - not confirmed · Standards Australia
- AS 1735.11 (1986) — Lifts, escalators and moving walks - Fire rated landing doorsReferenced by law · NCC 2022 Vol One C4D11 · Standards Australia
- AS 1735.12 (1999) — Lifts, escalators and moving walks - Facilities for persons with disabilities (incorporating amendment 1)Referenced by law · NCC 2022 Vol One E3D8, I2D6 · Standards Australia
- ISO 25745-2 (2015) — Energy performance of lifts, escalators and moving walks - Part 2: Energy calculation and classification for liftsReferenced by law · NCC 2022 Vol One J7D8 · ISO
Lift associations and bodies
- Australian Association of Vertical Transport (AAVT)
- Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)
- Lift Engineering Society of Australia Inc. (LESA)
- Standards Australia committee ME-004, Lift Installations (ME-004)
Last verified 2026-10-16. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.