Commonwealth, State and Territory Building Ministers (‘Building Ministers’) met today to agree the pause and streamlining of the National Construction Code (NCC). Building Ministers also decided the content and timing of the 2025 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC 2025) and approved Australian Building Code Board (ABCB) appointments.
Pause on residential changes
Building Ministers discussed the Commonwealth announcement on 24 August 2025 that no further residential changes to the NCC, except for essential quality and safety measures, will be made until mid‑2029, following the finalisation of NCC 2025.
Building Ministers agreed to pause further residential changes to the NCC and acknowledged it as a constructive step in improving productivity in residential construction and boosting the supply of new homes. Pausing further changes, following the finalisation of NCC 2025, will provide certainty to industry, allowing builders to invest with confidence in workforce development and innovation‑related activities.
Building Ministers agreed that the exemption would only apply to serious issues and changes that could not be deferred until the next edition of the code. Other changes would be held over.
Streamlining the NCC
Building Ministers agreed that there is potential to improve and modernise the NCC, ensuring a fit‑for‑purpose regulatory environment that supports the industry to build more homes, more quickly.
With the pause officially agreed, Building Ministers acknowledged it was a timely opportunity for collaboration among jurisdictions and industry to improve the NCC for the future.
Agreed scope for the work underway includes considering how to:
- Streamline and use AI to improve useability of the NCC to assist tradies, small businesses and households
- Reduce the regulatory burden on our building and construction industry
- Remove barriers to the uptake of modern methods of construction
- Improve how code provisions are developed by the ABCB and consider the appropriate cadence of future NCC updates.
The streamlining effort will encourage greater national harmonisation, while recognising the need for state‑ and territory‑based regulatory changes that reflect the specific quality and efficiency needs of each jurisdiction.
NCC 2025 finalised
After considering advice from the ABCB, Building Ministers discussed the proposed provisions in NCC 2025. Building Ministers agreed the following necessary adjustments for inclusion in NCC 2025:
- Water management in commercial and apartment buildings to prevent water ingress
- Carpark fire safety provisions for commercial and apartment buildings
- Commercial energy efficiency reforms including efficiency improvements and mandatory on‑site solar photovoltaic systems to support net zero ambitions
- Condensation mitigation.
Together these adjustments will support new buildings that are high‑quality, safe and meet the needs of occupants and owners into the future.
Ministers agreed that there would be no further residential changes in NCC 2025, outside of essential safety and quality changes. This means voluntary embodied carbon provisions would be published as an ABCB guidance document, and that EV charging provisions and residential energy efficiency changes would not be introduced at this time. This approach maintains the high energy efficiency standards adopted in NCC 2022, including 7‑star energy efficiency, and recognises the changes made to EV charging in commercial buildings in NCC 2022.
NCC 2025 will be published by 1 February 2026. States and territories can consider adoption from 1 May 2026. The adoption of NCC 2025 is a matter for each jurisdiction. For example, Tasmania noted it has paused implementation of NCC 2025 measures.
ABCB appointments
Building Ministers agreed to reappoint Ms Penny Cornah as a plumbing industry representative on the ABCB.
Building Ministers also agreed to extend Ms Glenys Beauchamp’s position as Chair of the ABCB by an additional 12 months. Ms Beauchamp’s corporate knowledge and experience will be integral in maintaining continuity in the ABCB, whilst the modernisation project is underway.