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Winston – in response to your questions, a closer examination of Sect 31 of the Regulation will reveal that the “2m or more above” criterion applies to either the “ground” or to “any external surface below” an opening window.
So in a circumstance where the external surface below a window opening is a balcony, then provided that surface is less than 2m below and any railing or balustrade fitted there is at least 1m high and has no gaps >12.5cm between or below its panels, and it has nothing on or near it that a child could use to climb to the top rail, then no child-proof locking device on such windows is required.
Have a look at this CHECK LIST
As for the quotation that your Strata Manager obtained, all I can say is that it’s consistent with the maxim that every time that a Government devises a new compliance procedure or funding arrangement, opportunists will always come out of the woodwork with a revenue creation scheme!
Further, don’t get hung-up on the 250N requirement, as it’s small in the physical scheme of things; you could bite with more force! Have a look at THESE documents, and you may well find that your building’s existing keyed window locks will comply, although I’m not too fussed about having keys.
HERE is a bit more reading (and viewing) from NSW Dept. Fair Trading who to its credit is doing a good job to put an end to contractors’ revenue creation schemes, and to the myth that owners corporations’ compliance before March 2018 will be a mammoth task.
So given the lead-time and all the information that’s out there already, I don’t think that the topic needs discussion at this weekend’s forum, but that’s up to Jimmy.
To conclude and slightly off-topic, but further on the subject of revenue creation schemes, have you heard the one currently on commercial radio where the script tells the tale of a strata scheme who engaged a consultant to assess its property’s railings / balustrades’ compliance building codes, who concluded that they simply must contact a contractor who could bring all those up compliance with the current code? Of course they don’t have to do any such thing unless all or a substantial part of a balustrade or railing is being replaced for other reasons; but it’s a good tale nonetheless.