Building ministers from around Australia have agreed on the details of a pause in changes to the National Construction Code, with a few notable exceptions.
Following an economic roundtable held over three days in August 2025, the federal government announced it would pause the National Construction Code (NCC).
The move aims to boost housing supply by speeding up construction and reducing regulatory barriers that could cause delays.
Building ministers agreed to pause residential changes to the NCC until mid-2029. Picture: Getty
On Wednesday 22 October 2025, federal, state and territory building ministers met to formalise the pause and set the timing for the 2025 edition of the NCC, along with appointments to the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB).
What the changes include
According to the official announcement, building ministers agreed to pause any further housing changes to the NCC until mid‑2029, with exceptions only for “essential quality and safety measures”.
These exceptions apply to urgent issues that cannot be deferred until the next full update of the code. They include:
- Improved water management in commercial and apartment buildings to prevent water ingress
- Enhanced carpark fire safety provisions in these buildings
- Commercial energy efficiency reforms
- Condensation mitigation measures.
This also means proposed rules such as new electric vehicle charging requirements for homes and extra residential energy efficiency upgrades will not be introduced now. Instead, the existing standards, including the 7‑star energy efficiency rating introduced in NCC 2022, will remain in place.
NCC 2025 will be published by 1 February 2026 with states and territories having the option to adopt it from 1 May 2026, but actual implementation will be decided at the jurisdiction level - for example, Tasmania has already confirmed it will pause adoption of certain NCC measures.
Ministers also committed to working together to make future versions of the NCC clearer and easier to use. The agreed scope includes:
- Using AI to improve NCC accessibility and usability
- Reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on the industry
- Removing barriers to the uptake of modern methods of construction (MMC)
- Overhauling how the ABCB develops provisions for the code.
NCC 2025 will be published in February 2026 with states and territories available to adopt it from May 2026. Picture: Getty
Industry reaction
Peak industry bodies have welcomed the announcement.
Housing Industry Association (HIA) managing director Jocelyn Martin said it showed that ministers “are listening and responding to industry concerns,” given that HIA and other advocates had been pushing for a pause to the code.
“The decision to focus NCC 2025 changes primarily on those considered essential and targeted at non‑residential buildings strikes a pragmatic balance and now provides industry with a clear path to prepare and adapt ahead of their adoption in May next year,” Ms Martin said.
“Importantly, ministers also committed to a comprehensive overhaul of how the NCC is developed and implemented — something HIA has long called for. Alongside this, they have tasked the ABCB with exploring how the code can support greater adoption of AI and MMC, which can pave the way for greater efficiencies in housing delivery.”
The Property Council of Australia said the changes would give the industry confidence to deliver “city‑shaping assets”.
“The Building Ministers’ endorsement recognises the innovation in Australian commercial projects and will support the continued advancement of quality, safety and sustainability standards,” chief executive Mike Zorbas said.
“At the same time, the brief pause on further changes to the NCC on residential construction provides the opportunity to simplify an otherwise complex code, ensure proper state buy‑in and make building new homes easier.”
Master Builders Australia also backed the move, highlighting the benefit for the construction industry.
“Builders need this certainty and can’t afford to be held back by unnecessary red tape if Australia has any hope of meeting our housing targets,” CEO Denita Wawn said.
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