12 Aug 2026
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has welcomed elements of the Senate Select Committee on Productivity's interim report on housing, saying it highlights the scale of reform needed to deliver more homes while maintaining the standards that make them healthy, resilient and affordable to run.
The report identifies opportunities to improve housing supply through measures including modern methods of construction, streamlined environmental approvals and reforms to the National Construction Code (NCC). GBCA supports efforts to modernise and simplify building regulation, provided those changes improve certainty and productivity without compromising the long-term performance of Australia's homes.
GBCA Chief Executive Officer Davina Rooney said Australia must focus on reforms that help deliver more futureready homes, faster.
"The challenge is clear. Australia needs to deliver more homes, faster, but we also need homes that are comfortable, resilient and affordable to live in over the long term," Ms Rooney said.
"We welcome the report's focus on improving construction productivity, supporting modern methods of construction and making the building system easier to navigate. These are important reforms that can help unlock housing supply while giving industry greater certainty."
GBCA supports the recommendation that the Australian Building Codes Board undertakes detailed cost-benefit analysis of future changes to the NCC. “This is already a core function of the ABCB and GBCA has consistently advocated for the Board to be appropriately resourced to carry out this work.”
However, recommendations to introduce a new Basic Australian Standard for housing and refocus the NCC around the scope of the 1988 code are concerning.
"The NCC sits at the intersection of housing affordability, construction productivity and climate performance. We need clarity and consistency, not new layers of standards that risk adding complexity to the system. Building
homes which only meet the limited scope of requirements we had 38 years ago ignore today's climate realities and would simply create bigger costs for households in the future."
"Nationally agreed requirements such as energy efficiency are not red tape. We welcome Senator Andrew Bragg's remarks to the National Press Club which support household electrification as a crucial economic and environmental endeavour, but it must be paired with energy efficiency and a code that ensures our homes and buildings are fit for today and the future."
GBCA welcomed the committee's recommendation that the Australian Government publish case studies of housing projects approved under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, saying greater transparency can help improve environmental outcomes while reducing delays and uncertainty.
GBCA also supports the development of a national housing pattern book, noting it has the potential to reduce design and approval costs while helping accelerate housing delivery. Importantly, GBCA said pattern books are compatible with existing building standards and do not require a new Basic Australian Standard to be effective.
The successful NSW pattern book shows how efficient design can support electrification and meet the market’s need for affordability, all with an introductory $1 price tag.
"Australia's housing challenge requires us to build more homes and better homes at the same time," Ms Rooney said.
"The most successful reforms will be those that improve productivity, support innovation and streamline delivery while maintaining the standards Australians expect for safety, comfort and resilience."