Industry Leaders and Standards Australia unite to unlock productivity benefits for the construction sector

Canberra, 28 July 2025 – Today, Australia’s construction leaders and Standards Australia came together at Parliament House in Canberra to address access to Australian Standards. Together we acknowledged access to standards is a critical issue impacting safety, productivity, workforce capability, and the delivery of housing and infrastructure that underpin the National Construction Code (NCC). 

Together, we acknowledged: 

• The essential role of Australian Standards in delivering safer, higher-quality, and more consistent construction outcomes; 
• The longstanding and significant contribution of industry to Australian Standards; 
• The persistent barriers caused by fragmented, outdated, and inconsistent access to standards, particularly for those designing, building, and certifying in the field; 
• The negative impacts on workforce productivity, compliance, and the timely delivery of housing , infrastructure and net zero transition; 
• The shared ambition of industry and government to lift housing supply, improve construction quality and safety, guide the transition to net zero and drive national productivity gains. 

 In response, we have agreed to: 

• Work together and collectively as industry leaders to advocate for a national standards access model for the construction sector to eliminate the costs and barriers to accessing standards mandated by laws and together create enhanced compliance tools; 
• Champion a model that empowers innovation and education, improves compliance, empowers practitioners, reduces work and rework, and supports both today’s workforce and the next generation of skilled workers; 
• Present a unified proposal to government that removes unnecessary barriers to Australian Standards and in doing strengthens our construction sector and unlocks productivity gains. 

 By removing the paywall, this change could play an important role in progressing the Governments’ deregulation and boosting industry productivity. 

CEO of Standards Australia, Rod Balding, said “The opportunity to work collaboratively with the Government and industry to reduce the upfront cost would provide a substantial red tape reduction boost for the industry and in turn improve the useability and penetration of the NCC and associated Australian Standards.” 

Mr Balding added “With more innovation and new AI tools coming online, the potential to move to free online standards would also act as an important step towards smarter integrated standards and help support a more fit for purpose regulatory system in 2025 and beyond.” 

Jocelyn Martin, Managing Director at Housing Industry Association, said “This level of regulation all adds to the regulatory burdens being placed on small businesses and HIA is calling for free access to standards as part of a broader effort to reduce red tape and improve housing affordability.” 

Denita Wawn, CEO at Master Builders Australia, added “The critical importance of removing the costs of access to regulated standards is exactly what the building and construction industry has been crying out for to improve our capacity it builds for Australia.” 

Kate Raymond, CEO at Master Electricians Australia, commented “The collaborative engagement between Standards Australia and construction industry leaders heralds a new era of improved productivity, innovation, safety and quality in the construction industry including our vital electrical sector.” 

Oliver Judd, CEO at National Electrical and Communications Association, mentioned “Australian Standards are essential to safety, productivity, and compliance – yet many in our industry still face barriers to access. Given the significant volunteer contribution we make to developing these standards, it’s time for a fairer, more effective model that supports the people building our homes, infrastructure, and net zero future.” 

Ken Gardner, Chair at Master Plumbers, Australia and New Zealand, observed “Free and easy access to by plumbers to gas and water installation standards is essential for the health and safety of the community.” 

Alison Scotland, CEO at Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, said “Ensuring that our construction industry has the skills and the capability to deliver buildings that are safe, healthy and affordable to run is a no-brainer. Access to the right information at the right time helps unlock our policy vision and accelerate Australia’s net zero transition. We commend Standards Australia for bringing industry together to progress this important enabler for productivity and sustainability.” 

Media enquiries: communications@standards.org.au