So you want 9b?

About once a week, I get a phone call from someone asking if I can go over to the premises they are looking at and give them a 9b certificate.

Before we get into what that actually means, let’s look at what they are asking for. Under the Building Code of Australia there are different classifications of buildings. Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and so on. These are given mysterious classification numbers such as class 5 or class 2. 

A place of public assembly, such as a church, a recreation centre, or a school, are all in the classification “9b”. If you intend to run a school or a college, or a church,  the building you are operating from needs to have the classification of 9b. This is not just a piece of paper to keep council happy. It is also used by the education regulators TEQSA, ASQA, and ACECQA. Bluntly put, if you want your training certification, you must have a suitable building to train in.

The person who called me has probably spoken to a few people, such as a Principal Certifying Authority. They have probably given a price for issuing a 9b on a building. They have probably also told them to call a specialist. And now they are talking to me.

I tell them that we need to look at the building they are considering. We consider its history and what permissions have been granted before. We look at the amenities, the fire exits and many other considerations. Then we tell them the maximum number of occupants they can have in that space. That’s just stage 1. Then for stage 2, we have to engage consultants to write reports, sometimes there has to be changes to the building, and finally, the PCA who can issue an Occupation Certificate that states, this building now has a 9b certification.  The process can take anywhere from 6 to 16 weeks.

Along the way, there were traps and pitfalls to be avoided. For instance, did you know if you occupy more than 50% of a building and you ask for a “change of use”, Council can ask, that the whole of the building is upgraded for fire services? Did you know you do not have to get a Development Application (Building Planning Permit for some states) if your premises falls under particular criteria? Did you know that in some zones as defined by Council, you cannot actually have the choice of all the classifications you would like?  Recently we had a client who had already purchased a building and we had to tell them that the zone the building was in, simply was not allowed to do the kind of teaching they wanted.

The person on the phone was hoping for a 1 hour visit, and a quick signature and tada! 9b certificate!  There is a process, a journey you must go on to achieve what you want. Your dream of running a training centre or a college is still achievable, it just takes a little longer than an hour.

The last question I am always asked is “how much does this cost?” I tell them, and they always say “that is twice what the other certifier quoted me”. 

Is it? 

The certifier has been quite honest with you. They quoted their shop front price for the work they would have to do. What they have probably not told you is that other consultants will be needed and the PCA has not quoted for those.

It is true that you can do this all yourself, you can engage people as you are asked. Each of them will have a cost and will take the time they need, then you can move to the next one, sometimes there will be surprises! You can do it this way and get to the end of your long and surprising journey and be glad you never have to do it again.

Or you can ask someone who knows the whole journey, can give you an idea before you start how much the whole journey will cost, can advise you how to avoid the pitfalls and how to spend your money wisely on this process, can engage consultants at their wholesale prices, and will give you back your own time to do what you do best!

You want 9b? Go to an expert who can describe the whole journey and save you time and money. Of course, you may like the adventure, boldly trekking through unknown territory and discovering new delights. We suggest you do it on a safari and leave the certification processes to us.

(Simon is the Operations Manager at c2cglobal, a business consulting company that specialises only in 9b and education) if you would like to talk to c2c click the link below to book a zoom call.