Building and construction activities at 'core-regulated' airports must be approved by the Airport Building Controller (ABC). The ABC is appointed under the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Building Control) Regulations 2025 (the regulations) to administer the airport building control regime. Airport Lessee Companies (ALCs) must also approve the activity from a planning and airport operational perspective.
Resources
Please note, this section is currently under review. Resources will soon be updated to reflect the Airports (Building Control) Regulations 2025, coming into effect on 1 April 2026.
- ABC Operations Manual
- Building activities at core-regulated airports between $20 and $25 million—Guidance for Airport Building Controllers
- Exempt building activities—Guidance for Airport Building Controllers
Airport Building Control reform
Airport Building Control plays a vital role in facilitating safe and efficient development at Australia's core-regulated airports.
As part of the 2023–24 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), the Australian Government announced an increase in funding appropriated to the department to provide and improve Airport Building Control services. Improvements to the way the department delivers this service include increased flexibility in meeting demand, and ensuring sustainability of ABC services into the future. To support this, the department is undertaking a number of reforms and updates:
Flexibility in ABC services
The department has introduced 'demand-driven' flexibility into ABC services as part of the new and improved contract arrangements that commenced in late 2025.
Under the improved contract arrangements, the department can provide additional paid hours for ABC services at any core-regulated airport that is experiencing a significant uptick in the volume of building activities.
Charging reforms
Building proponents (applicants) must pay a fee for ABC services. These fees form part of government revenue, known as cost recovery.
The department is working to implement a charging reform which will increase the revenue generated without hindering or limiting development and investment and more closely align to the Australian Government Charging Framework. The aim is to recover approximately 70% of costs incurred in administering the Airport Building Control function.
To implement the charging reform, a new fee schedule is being developed following consultation with stakeholders. Currently, ABC fees are charged dependent upon the airport location (e.g. in Hobart the fees differ from those charged in Brisbane). This can mean that proponents of developments of similar size or value can pay very different fees, depending on their location. The new fee schedule will provide for a flat fee structure, regardless of location, and increases in fees will depend on the size of the development.
To facilitate the charging reform, amendments to the Airports (Building Control) Regulations 2025 are required. The department is aiming to have these amendments in place by 2028.
Airport Building Control Online
The Airport Building Control function of the department is supported by an online portal (known as ABC Online or ABCO), through which all building applications are made and processed. The IT platform which supports ABCO is nearing end of life, and requires upgrading.
The ABCO upgrade project will rectify existing system issues and improve functionality. These changes are currently planned to be completed by mid-2026.
To ensure the new upgrades are manageable, the department is working with users of ABCO via a technical working group to implement these upgrades in a logical and user-friendly way.