Housing reforms set to improve liveability

Federal, state and territory building ministers have agreed to changes to the National Construction Code 2022 (NCC 2022) to include liveable housing provisions, new residential efficiency standards, and condensation mitigation measures.

The changes included making homes more accessible for people with mobility challenges, and increased the energy efficiency and electric vehicle readiness of new homes.

The accessibility changes include one step-free entry into a home, wider internal doors and corridors and a toilet on ground (or entry) level.

Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, said the changes will improve the lives of people who move into new homes and will particularly help make new homes more accessible for people with disabilities and for older Australians.

“The update of the National Construction Code is delivering on a new modern homes agenda,” Minister Husic said.

“We are helping Australians live in new homes that are more comfortable, more sustainable and more supportive for people with mobility constraints.”

NCC 2022 will be available for voluntary use from 1 October 2022 and commence on 1 May 2023, while the new modern housing provisions for energy efficiency, condensation and liveable (accessible) housing will become mandatory on 1 October 2023.

Queensland’s minister for energy and Public Works, Mick de Brenni, welcomed the initiative and said there would be exemptions for homes on steep slopes and small lots, as well as for traditional designs like the iconic Queenslander.

Mr de Brenni said the changes will ensure “new home builds are safe, secure and liveable for generations to come”.

“From an energy-efficiency perspective, it means cheaper power bills for new homes, and as we age, the ability to live with dignity in our own homes,” said Mr de Brenni.

“This is especially important for our growing population of seniors, but also for families with young children and people who suffer temporary injury or a permanent disability.”

He explained that Queensland's aged care and health system were “congested” with too many Australians who could otherwise be in their own homes if they were suitable.

“These changes will help ease the substantial pressure on those systems.”

Along with building accessibility changes, it was agreed that new buildings would increase from six to seven-star rating.

These changes included: more rooftop solar, better home insulation, better air movement, lighter-coloured roofs and walls, improved ceiling fan requirements and more climate-appropriate glazing of windows.

The Building Ministers noted that the NCC 2022 energy-efficiency provisions will make it easier for people living in apartments to switch to an electric vehicle, due to the provision of base infrastructure for future cabling and control-point installation at the time of construction.

Mr de Brenni said these improvements would reduce emissions by 1.64 million tonnes from new homes in Queensland, taking up to $185 per year off Queenslanders electricity bills.

“The reforms mean that all new apartment buildings will be built EV-ready, future-proofing the nation towards a low-carbon economy.

“That means cooler houses in summer, and warmer in winter.”

In Victoria, the Andrews government said the new rules will increase the minimum energy efficiency standards for new homes from six to seven-star ratings when using the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).

The Labor Government has already begun the groundwork to transition to the new standard, with the 7-Star Home program announced as part of our record $1.6 billion investment into clean energy in the 2020–21 Budget.

This provides targeted training to help the residential building and construction sector increase their skills and rebates to registered builders and land developers to design and build 7-star NatHERS rated homes.

[Related: Bank Australia flags discounts for greener homes]