Industry and consumer coalition backs certainty on National Construction Code

An industry coalition of 15 leading industry, consumer and community organisations has welcomed the Australian Government’s commitment to implement the 2025 National Construction Code (NCC) and to reaffirm the higher residential standards introduced in 2022.

The group also acknowledged the Government’s announcement that the next round of code changes will move from 2028 to 2029. The additional 12 months must be used productively and should not be extended. Recognising the pressures governments are balancing, the group emphasised that streamlining and removing unnecessary regulation can and should continue during this period. The group also urged government to adequately resource the Australian Building Codes Board to ensure the next update builds broad support and can be implemented quickly and efficiently.

The NCC is a cornerstone of Australia’s strategy for emissions reduction, productivity and climate resilience. Improved standards cut household bills, reduce retrofit costs and improve community health outcomes, while providing certainty for households, businesses and investors. The NCC also provides an essential safety net for quality, accessibility and wellbeing, ensuring the buildings people live and work in meet evolving community needs.

For more than three decades, regular updates have underpinned productivity and safety gains. To maintain this progress, any move to longer cycles must be matched by uniform national implementation across all jurisdictions.

The coalition strongly supports simplifying the code and improving its usability, which would make it easier for industry, regulators and building owners to navigate, while maintaining robust requirements.

The 2022 code update is already delivering benefits for households through improved residential energy performance. Provisions in NCC 2025 will lift the performance of commercial buildings, introducing stronger efficiency requirements, readiness for onsite solar PV, and EV charging infrastructure.

The group is calling for:

• Swift and uniform implementation of NCC 2025 across all jurisdictions.
• A clear national plan for ongoing NCC updates, aligned with emissions reduction commitments, climate resilience and community safety expectations.
• Adequate resourcing for the Australian Building Codes Board to maintain strong standards.
• Support for the building sector, trades and supply chains to meet new requirements at scale and least cost.
• Full and consistent implementation of NCC 2022 across all jurisdictions. The group reaffirmed its commitment to work in partnership with all governments to deliver a greener, healthier, and more equitable built environment that underpins Australia’s net zero transition.

Supporting organisations: Australian Council of Social Service; Australian Passivhaus Association; Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council; Australian Institute of Architects; Australian Institute of Landscape Architects; Building Designers Association of Australia; Climateworks Centre; Design Matters National; Energy Consumers Australia; Energy Efficiency Council; Green Building Council of Australia; Facility Management Association of Australia; Justice and Equity Centre; Property Council of Australia.

Quotes

Davina Rooney, CEO, Green Building Council of Australia: “Regular, nationally consistent construction code updates are the foundation of better, healthier buildings. Every time we strengthen the code, we cut bills, improve comfort and create long-term value for Australians. The commitment to deliver NCC 2025 is a vital step forward, and now we need to ensure momentum continues.”

Dr Gill Armstrong, Buildings Lead, Climateworks Centre: "Climateworks Centre's research shows that making buildings more energy efficient can cut energy costs and improve people's health at home."

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, ACOSS: "Governments should remove unnecessary building regulation while committing the resources to strengthen the rules that are really needed. Regular updates to building standards are essential to cut climate pollution and ensure future houses are safe, resilient to climate change, accessible, and deliver lower energy bills."

Alexia Lidas, CEO Australian Passivhaus Association: "Every Australian deserves access healthy, low energy buildings. To deliver these we need regular nationally delivered code updates. A mandatory CPD program for builders, as is required for other licensed professionals, Passivhaus Designers and Builders creates a culture where updates to codes are business as usual and adopted with ease."

Alison Scotland, CEO, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council: “Having a clear national plan for ongoing NCC updates – aligned with emissions reduction commitments, climate resilience and community safety expectations – provides certainty and confidence for consumers, businesses and financial institutions.”