In Victoria it is literal. As close as practicable. If I can find a legal location for a panel IE not a bathroom, coal bin, closet, crawlspace, and the contractor choses a place further into the building then it fails or gets encased in 2 inches of concrete. BC has a Directive on section 6 that expands on this but the absolute limit without concrete is 1.5 meter subject to that location being as close as practicable.
