Subfloor Vents and Ground Clearance in Albury-Wodonga

NSW (Albury): the Australian Building Codes Board's NCC 2022 Part 6.2 says openings must be “in accordance with Table 6.2.1a for the climatic zones given in Figure 6.2.1a”, and the table is set in millimetres squared of opening per metre of wall. It adds that openings must be placed not more than 600 mm in from corners, and that a 400 mm clearance is required only where termite management systems that need to be inspected are installed (read 7 October 2026).

Victoria (Wodonga)

The Board's NCC 2025 Part 6.2 carries the same requirements: openings in external walls and internal subfloor walls, clearance to the lowest horizontal member, a space cleared of building debris and vegetation, no dead air spaces, and openings not more than 600 mm in from corners (read 7 October 2026). Victoria's adoption date for NCC 2025 is 1 May 2026; NSW's is 1 May 2027. We read no State variation to the clause on either side.

What to ask about the vents

No page we read says which climatic zone Albury or Wodonga falls in, so we give no vent area and no vent count. Ask the provider which zone they used and where it comes from. The NSW Health fact sheet asks only for something simpler: make sure the weep holes and air vents at the base of the home are uncovered. A vent behind soil, mulch or a garden bed is covered, which is our reading of that line.

The vents matter most in the damp season. See the humidity readings on the main page and what changes when the ground is wet on the damp ground page.

What does the code say about vent position?

It says openings must be evenly spaced as far as practicable and placed not more than 600 mm in from corners, according to the NCC 2022 text we read for NSW and the NCC 2025 text for Victoria.

Does the code say how high the floor must be above the ground?

It requires clearance between the ground surface and the underside of the lowest horizontal member in line with its table, and says a 400 mm clearance is required only where termite management systems that need inspecting are installed.

Can I just add more vents?

We do not say. The code sets openings by climatic zone and no page we read states the zone for either city, and no page we read says whether vent work needs an approval. Ask the provider and your council.