The National Construction Code must get ‘back to basics’

9 March 2026

Representing over 32,000 builders, Master Builders Australia has continued its advocacy for the National Construction Code (NCC) to be streamlined, with the Federal Government actively working towards this following the pause of changes to the Code in October 2025. As the building and construction industry knows all too well, the NCC’s sheer size, poor drafting, complexity and scope creep has made it unwieldy and impractical; the result being poorer building outcomes, less productivity and higher costs.

The magnitude of the regulatory creep is magnified by Volume Two of the NCC, that started out as a ‘glove box compendium’ for house builders, has grown from 93 pages in 1993 to 889 pages as it stands today. This growth has significantly increased the regulatory burden on small construction businesses, with the Productivity Commission estimating the total cost of all regulatory burden across the economy on housing being $47.5 billion per year, translating to $320,000 per new house.

The peak body’s submission to the Government’s discussion paper has outlined how the NCC has shifted from setting minimum standards to imposing, sometimes unattainable, best-practice benchmarks, creating unnecessary complexity and poor integration. Master Builders has made the case for a ‘back to basics’ approach to deliver safe, habitable and secure homes while boosting productivity and housing supply. The submission outlines that:

• The independence of the Australian Building Codes Board must be solidified and the risk of disparate implementation of NCC changes across States and Territories must be reduced.
• Policy developments must be transparent, evidence based, outcomes focused and importantly consultative and the fixed amendment cycle approach must be abandoned.
• The NCC should be in plain English and must be strictly limited to setting minimum necessary standards for the design. This also includes ensuring terms are clearly defined and developing guidance to provide practical information and advice on requirements.
• Regulated Australian Standards must be freely available as they currently remain paywalled, despite being critical to practical compliance.
• A more robust building product assurance framework is required along with streamlined and consistent inspection and certification requirements to support innovation with clarity and certainty.

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn has warned that a tsunami of red tape including the NCC has pushed the Australian dream of home ownership further out of reach.

“The aspirations of Australians to own a home should be in the forefront of policy makers minds, with the priority of simpler rules that result in better buildings, improved productivity, and increased supply.

“Two decades after the Productivity Commission first warned of systemic weaknesses in building regulation, the same governance, accountability and inconsistency remains largely unresolved. Fixing the NCC quagmire can no longer be left in the too hard basket,” concluded Ms Wawn.

A copy of the submission including Master Builders full recommendations can be found at https://masterbuilders.com.au/newsroom/the-national-construction-code

Media contact: Dylan Hafey, Media Advisor

0497 330 064 | dylan.hafey@masterbuilders.com.au