Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC), the document that underpins how homes and buildings are designed and constructed across the country, is set for a significant rethink.

In December 2025, the Australian Government released a discussion paper outlining a proposal to streamline and modernise the NCC, inviting industry and community feedback on how the code can be made simpler, more usable, and more supportive of innovation, without lowering safety or quality standards 

The review forms part of the Government’s broader $43 billion housing agenda, which aims to lift housing supply, improve productivity, and reduce the time and cost involved in delivering new homes where they are needed most.

Why the NCC is being reviewed now

The NCC sets minimum national standards for building safety, health, amenity and accessibility. It is prepared by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and then adopted and enforced by states and territories through their own regulatory systems.

While the code plays a critical role in protecting occupants, concerns have been growing about its size, complexity and the way it is applied in practice. According to the Productivity Commission, construction productivity in Australia has been stagnant or declining for decades, with approval processes often taking longer than the build itself 

The discussion paper notes that the NCC now runs to around 2,000 pages and references more than 100 separate standards, many of which sit behind paywalls. Around 600 pages are dedicated to state and territory variations, adding further complexity for those operating across multiple jurisdictions 

The Government has responded by pausing major residential changes to the NCC until mid-2029, following the finalisation of NCC 2025, while work is undertaken to modernise the system itself 

Four focus areas for reform

The discussion paper outlines four key themes where reform is being explored.

The first is governance and process. This looks at how the ABCB operates, how changes to the NCC are proposed and approved, and whether current arrangements provide enough transparency, independence and industry engagement. Stakeholders have raised concerns about inconsistent consultation, funding constraints and unclear roles between governments and the ABCB 

The second theme is complexity and regulatory burden. While the NCC is intended to be performance based, allowing flexibility in how outcomes are achieved, the paper acknowledges that performance solutions are often seen as risky, subjective and costly to document. As a result, many default to Deemed to Satisfy pathways, even when alternative approaches may be more efficient or innovative 

The third focus area is usability and accessibility. The NCC was developed in a paper based era and is still largely accessed as a static document. Users report difficulty navigating the code, understanding highly technical language, and accessing referenced standards. The paper flags opportunities to use digital tools, including AI, to make the code easier to search, interpret and apply across different devices 

The final theme is innovation and housing diversity. Modern methods of construction, such as prefabrication and modular building, are widely recognised as a way to reduce build times and costs. Productivity Commission analysis suggests these methods could cut construction time by up to 50 per cent and costs by up to 20 per cent, yet regulatory uncertainty continues to slow adoption 

What is not changing

Importantly, the Government has been clear that the review is not about weakening standards. Safety, structural integrity, fire performance, and quality benchmarks remain non negotiable.

The paper specifically notes that key policy settings introduced in recent editions of the NCC, including the 7 star energy efficiency standards in NCC 2022, remain in place and are not being unwound as part of this process 

Instead, the aim is to improve how requirements are expressed, accessed and applied, so that compliance is clearer, faster and more consistent across jurisdictions.

Why industry input matters

The NCC only becomes law when adopted by states and territories, and its real world impact is shaped by how it is interpreted by regulators, certifiers and practitioners. The discussion paper explicitly calls for feedback from across the construction ecosystem, including those who use the code daily, to help identify where complexity, duplication or ambiguity is adding unnecessary cost or delay 

Submissions are open until 6 February 2026, with feedback expected to influence how future editions of the NCC are structured, delivered and governed.

As housing supply pressures continue to build, the way Australia writes and uses its building rules is increasingly seen as part of the solution, not just an administrative backdrop. This review represents a rare opportunity to reset how the NCC supports safe, efficient and scalable building outcomes for the decades ahead.

Author: TGB Editorial