Do new homes in Queensland need termite protection?

Yes. The National Construction Code requires a termite management system for new building work in designated areas, and South East Queensland is high termite-pressure country. The system is installed to AS 3660.1 and must be in place before the slab is poured — which is why it's one of the key items checked at the pre-pour inspection.

When is the termite barrier inspected?

The critical point is the pre-pour inspection, when barriers and pipe-penetration collars are still visible before concrete covers them. It's checked again at slab stage (perimeter edge exposure) and at the PCI, where we confirm the durable notice is present and that paths, gardens and rendering haven't bridged the system since installation.

What is a slab-edge exposure zone?

Many concrete-slab homes rely on a visible strip of exposed slab edge — typically a minimum of 75mm — so that any termite entry is forced into the open where it can be seen during routine inspections. If landscaping, paths or render later cover that exposed edge, they can 'bridge' the barrier and hide termite activity. We check the exposure is maintained at handover.

Termite Management in New Queensland Homes — AS 3660.1 and Your Durable Notice

Q: What is a termite durable notice?

AS 3660.1 requires a durable notice to be fixed in a prominent location in the building — most often inside the electrical meter box. It records the type of termite management system installed, the date, the installer, and any re-treatment or inspection intervals. It's the permanent reference for the next owner or pest inspector, and its presence is checked at the practical completion inspection.

Of all the things that protect a new Queensland home, termite management is the one most owners never see. It's built in before the slab is poured, hidden under concrete and behind walls for the life of the home, and yet in South East Queensland — high termite-pressure country — it's among the most consequential systems in the entire build.

Get it right and it quietly does its job for decades. Get it wrong, and the first sign is often damage that's already done. That asymmetry is exactly why termite management is inspected at the points where it's still visible, and why the paperwork that records it matters as much as the system itself.

Why termites are a Queensland-specific concern

Subterranean termites are active across most of South East Queensland, and a modern brick-veneer or lightweight-clad home has plenty of concealed timber for them to reach. The National Construction Code responds by requiring a termite management system for new building work in designated areas, installed and documented to AS 3660.1 — the Australian Standard for termite management in new building work.

Importantly, a management system doesn't "kill termites" or guarantee a home will never be attacked. It's designed to *deter* concealed entry and to *force any entry into the open*, where it can be found during regular inspections. That's why the system and ongoing inspection go hand in hand.

The main types of system

AS 3660.1 recognises several approaches, and new homes usually rely on one or a combination:

Physical barriers — stainless-steel mesh or graded stone installed around pipe penetrations and along the slab perimeter, which termites can't pass through.
Chemical barriers — a treated soil zone or a reticulation system that delivers a termiticide around and under the slab.
Slab-edge exposure — leaving a visible strip of exposed slab edge (commonly a minimum of 75mm) so that any termite workings are forced into view rather than hidden behind render or paving.

Most homes combine collars or mesh at the penetrations with either a perimeter treatment or an exposed slab edge. The specific system is a design decision for your builder and the installer — what matters to you is that it was installed correctly and is documented.

The durable notice — your permanent record

AS 3660.1 requires a durable notice to be fixed in a prominent location in the building, most often inside the electrical meter box. It records the type of system installed, the date, the installer, and any re-treatment or inspection intervals — for example, a chemical system with a stated service life, or a note that annual inspections are recommended.

The durable notice is the reference the next pest inspector, and the next owner, will rely on years from now. A missing durable notice is a genuine gap, not a technicality: without it, nobody can tell what protects the home or when it needs attention. Confirming the notice is present and legible is a standard item at the practical completion inspection.

When the termite system is inspected

Because so much of the system is buried, the timing of inspection is everything:

Pre-pour — the most important point. At the pre-pour inspection, barriers, collars around every pipe penetration and the perimeter treatment are still visible before concrete covers them for good. A missed collar found here is a five-minute fix; found later, it's a permanent weak point.
Slab stage — the perimeter and any slab-edge exposure zone are checked once the slab is poured.
Practical completion — at the PCI inspection, we confirm the durable notice is present, that the required slab-edge exposure has been maintained, and that paths, driveways, rendering or garden beds haven't *bridged* the system since it was installed. Bridging is one of the most common ways a perfectly good barrier is defeated on a brand-new home, as landscaping and site works go in during the final weeks.

The bottom line for buyers

You'll almost never see your termite management system, so the protection you actually get comes down to two things: that it was installed correctly while it was still visible, and that it was documented so it can be maintained. An independent inspection covers both — checking the barriers and penetrations at pre-pour, and the exposure and durable notice at handover — as part of the full construction stage inspection sequence.

Every VG Inspect inspection is carried out by a QBCC-licensed builder-inspector (QBCC Licence 1318443), with a same-day photographic report referencing AS 3660.1 and the National Construction Code against each item. Book an inspection or call 07 3180 8041 to have your home's termite management checked at the stage it matters.