NCC 2025 Pipeline Protection: Managing Live Project Risk During the Transition course cover

ACT and NCC 2025: why your 1 November lodgement date decides which code applies

In short

  • NCC 2025 commenced in the ACT on 1 May 2026 and becomes mandatory for Building Approvals from 1 May 2027.
  • Until then, a Building Approval can comply with NCC 2022 and the ACT 2022 Appendix, or NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix. You nominate one. You cannot mix the two.
  • The exception that matters this month: a project with a Development Application or Works Approval Application formally lodged before 1 November 2026 can keep seeking Building Approval under either edition until that Development Application expires.
  • 1 November 2026 is a Sunday. “Before 1 November” means lodged by the end of Saturday 31 October, so treat Friday 30 October as your practical deadline.
  • Some industry pages still describe an earlier six month transition. The ACT replaced it with the 12 month framework on 2 April 2026.

Correct as at 19 October 2026.

Most of the NCC 2025 conversation has been about what changes. In the ACT, the more urgent question for the next fortnight is when you lodge.

The ACT gave designers a 12 month transition, which is generous. It also built in a cut off that is easy to miss, and it lands on a weekend.

The dates

ACT Planning sets out the position plainly. NCC 2025 commenced in the ACT on 1 May 2026 but is not mandatory until 1 May 2027. In between, a project with Building Approval after 1 May 2026 and before 1 May 2027 may comply with either:

  • NCC 2022 and the ACT 2022 Appendix, or
  • NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix.

Two conditions come with that choice. The edition the project complies with must be clearly nominated, and a project cannot comply with a mix of requirements from each version.

From 1 May 2027, Building Approvals must comply with NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix. There is one exception.

The 1 November exception

Projects with a Development Application or Works Approval Application formally lodged before 1 November 2026 may continue to seek Building Approval under either NCC 2022 or NCC 2025 until that Development Application expires.

In practice, that means a project in your pipeline today can stay on NCC 2022 well past May 2027, as long as its planning or works application is in before the cut off and the DA stays alive. Miss the cut off and the project needs Building Approval before 1 May 2027 to keep the choice. After that, it is NCC 2025.

The Minister’s release on 2 April 2026 framed it as protection for projects “already well advanced”. HIA’s read is the same: well progressed projects are not forced to redesign late in the process.

Three things the guidance does not spell out

What “formally lodged” means. The page does not define it. An application started in the portal but not submitted, or submitted with fees unpaid, may not count. If you are cutting it close, confirm with ACT Planning what they treat as lodged.

What happens when the DA expires. The choice of edition runs until the Development Application expires. The page does not say what applies after expiry or on renewal. The safe reading is that NCC 2025 applies to any new Building Approval sought after the DA lapses.

The weekend. 1 November 2026 is a Sunday, and the test is “before” 1 November. An application lodged on 1 November itself sits outside the exception. Aim to have everything in by Friday 30 October.

Watch for the old six month version

The ACT originally proposed a six month transition, with Building Approvals after 1 November 2026 required to comply with NCC 2025. That version still appears on some industry pages. The 2 April 2026 announcement replaced it with the 12 month framework and moved 1 November from a Building Approval deadline to a lodgement deadline. If a client or consultant quotes 1 November as the date NCC 2025 becomes compulsory, that is the old rule.

What NCC 2025 brings in the ACT

ACT Planning lists the changes it expects to matter most:

  • measures to reduce condensation and mould in new homes
  • new waterproofing and drainage requirements, with a planned ACT variation so existing buildings needing Building Approval are exempt
  • stronger energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings
  • upgraded fire safety provisions for carparks attached to commercial and apartment buildings
  • increased female toilet ratios and sanitary product dispensers in new commercial and public buildings

The Minister said the largest technical shift is in commercial development, which is why the transition exists at all.

What to do this fortnight

  1. List your live ACT projects and note which already have a Development Application or Works Approval Application lodged.
  2. For each one without, decide whether staying on NCC 2022 is worth lodging by Friday 30 October. If the design is already resolved to NCC 2022, it usually is.
  3. Nominate the edition on every Building Approval application, and keep the documentation to that edition only. No mixing.
  4. Record the decision in the project file, with the lodgement date and the DA expiry date, so the reasoning survives a staff change.
  5. For anything that will miss both dates, design to NCC 2025 now. ACT Planning gives the same advice.

Questions about a specific project go to the ACT Planning Building, Reform and Policy Team at CEDBuildingPolicyReform@act.gov.au.

Formal CPD on the transition

NCC 2025 Pipeline Protection: Managing Live Project Risk During the Transition covers exactly this decision: which live projects to hold on the old edition, and how to document it. NCC 2025: What Is Changing, When It Applies to You, and How to Use Your Transition Window covers the technical changes. Both are one-hour formal CPD at $99, with a certificate on completion. For everything ACT specific, see CPD for the ACT.

Frequently asked questions

When does NCC 2025 become mandatory in the ACT?

For Building Approvals from 1 May 2027. It commenced on 1 May 2026, and until 1 May 2027 you can nominate either NCC 2022 with the ACT 2022 Appendix or NCC 2025 with the ACT 2025 Appendix.

Can my ACT project stay on NCC 2022 after 1 May 2027?

Yes, if its Development Application or Works Approval Application was formally lodged before 1 November 2026. It can seek Building Approval under either edition until that Development Application expires.

Does an application lodged on 1 November 2026 count?

No. The test is lodgement before 1 November 2026. As 1 November is a Sunday, aim to lodge by Friday 30 October.

Can I use parts of NCC 2025 and parts of NCC 2022 on one project?

No. ACT Planning says the edition must be clearly nominated and a project cannot comply with a mix of requirements from each version.

Prepared from the primary sources listed below. Current at publication, 19 October 2026. Always confirm the edition and any ACT variation that applies to your project with ACT Planning or your certifier.

Sources