Glossary

Accommodation

Buildings primarily providing short-term or temporary accommodation on a commercial basis. Includes:

• Self-contained, short-term apartments (e.g. serviced apartments);
• Hotels (predominantly accommodation), motels, boarding houses, cabins; and
• Other short-term accommodation n.e.c. (e.g. migrant hostels, youth hostels, lodges).

Aged care facilities

Building used in the provision or support of aged care facilities, excluding dwellings (e.g. retirement villages). Includes aged care facilities with and without medical care.

Agriculture/aquaculture

Buildings associated with agriculture and aquaculture activities, including bulk storage of produce (e.g. shearing shed, hay shed, shearers’ quarters).

Alterations and additions

Building activity carried out on existing buildings. Includes alterations and additions to floor area, the structural design of a building, and affixing rigid components which are integral to the functioning of the building.

Building

A building is a rigid, fixed and permanent structure which has a roof. Its intended purpose is primarily to house people, plant, machinery, vehicles, goods or livestock. An integral feature of a building’s design is the provision for regular access by persons in order to satisfy its intended use.

Building job

A building job is a construction project comprising work to one or more buildings.

Commercial

Buildings primarily occupied with or engaged in commercial trade or work intended for commercial trade, including buildings used primarily in wholesale and retail trades, office and transport activities.

Conversion

Building activity which converts a non-residential building to a residential building (e.g. conversion of a warehouse to residential apartments).

Dwelling

A dwelling is a self-contained suite of rooms, including cooking and bathing facilities, intended for long-term residential use. A dwelling may comprise part of a building or the whole of a building. Regardless of whether they are self-contained or not, rooms within buildings offering institutional care (e.g. hospitals) or temporary accommodation (e.g. motels, hostels and holiday apartments) are not defined as dwellings. Such rooms are included in the appropriate category of non-residential building approvals. Dwellings can be created in one of four ways: through new work to create a residential building; through alteration/addition work to an existing residential building; through either new or alteration/addition work on non-residential building; or through conversion of a non-residential building to a residential building.

Dwellings excluding houses

Dwellings in other residential buildings and dwellings created in non-residential buildings.

Educational

Buildings used in the provision or support of educational services, including group accommodation buildings (e.g. classrooms, school canteens, dormitories).

Entertainment and recreation

Buildings used in the provision of entertainment and recreational facilities or services (e.g. libraries, museums, casinos, sporting facilities).

Factories

Buildings housing, or associated with, production and assembly processes of intermediate and final goods.

Flats, units or apartments

Dwellings not having their own private grounds and usually sharing a common entrance, foyer or stairwell.

Health

Buildings used in the provision of non-aged care medical services (e.g. nursing quarters, laboratories, clinics).

House

A detached building primarily used for long term residential purposes consisting of one dwelling unit. Includes detached residences associated with a non-residential building, and kit and transportable homes.

Industrial

Buildings used for warehousing and the production and assembly activities of industrial establishments, including factories and plants.

New

Building activity which will result in the creation of a building which previously did not exist.

Non-residential building

Buildings primarily intended for purposes other than long term residence.

Offices

Buildings primarily used in the provision of professional services or public administration (e.g. offices, insurance or finance buildings).

Other residential building

Buildings other than houses which are primarily used for long-term residential purposes. Other residential buildings includes: semidetached, row or terrace houses or townhouses; and flats, units or apartments.

Religious

Buildings used for or associated with worship or in support of programs sponsored by religious bodies (e.g. church, temple, church hall, religious dormitories).

Residential building

Buildings primarily used for long-term residential purposes. Residential buildings are categorised as houses or other residential buildings.

Retail/wholesale trade

Buildings primarily used in the sale of goods to intermediate and end users.

Semidetached, row or terrace houses, townhouses

Dwellings having their own private grounds with no other dwellings above or below.

Total residential building

Total residential building is comprised of houses and other residential building. It does not include dwellings in non-residential buildings.

Transport

Buildings primarily used in the provision of transport services. Includes:

• Passenger transport buildings (e.g. passenger terminals);
• Non-passenger transport buildings (e.g. freight terminals);
• Commercial car parks (excluded are those built as part of, and intended to service, other distinct building developments); and
• Other transport buildings n.e.c.

Warehouses

Buildings primarily used for storage of goods, excluding produce storage.