The Better Apartment Design Standards (BADS) were introduced in 2017 into Clauses 55.07 (apartment developments of up to 4 storeys including basement) and 58.03 (apartment developments above 4 storeys including basement) of the Victorian Planning Provisions. The objective is to improve apartment design in Victoria.

The following objectives of BADS need to be addressed by an ESD or Waste Management Consultant:

Energy efficiency objectives | Clauses 55.07-1 and 58.03-1 | Standards B35 & D6

Requires NatHERS Assessment of a representative sample of apartments to confirm that the cooling load for any one apartment does not exceed the maximum stipulated by the Standard.

Integrated water and stormwater management objectives | Clauses 55.07-5 and 58.03-8 | Standards B39 & D13

Requires Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Assessment, Rating and/or Response to confirm that the development will meet the Standard. Can be combined with an ESD Report such as a Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA) or Sustainability Management Plan (SMP)

Waste and recycling objectives | Clauses 55.07-11 & 58.06-3 | Standards B45 & D23

Requires a Waste Management Plan (WMP) which details how waste and recycling facilities, storage and collection will meet the Standard.

In addition, there are some objectives within BADS that require adequate daylight access to habitable rooms. This may necessitate a Daylight Assessment and Report if the design is not able to meet the prescriptive requirements of the Standard. The objective of a BADS Daylight Assessment Report is to show that there is adequate, or possibly even best practice daylight access into habitable rooms, which would meet the Objectives of the relevant Clauses.