Scale model of an apartment building with rooftop solar, a sprinklered basement carpark and a drained balcony

NCC 2025 vs NCC 2022: what changed, and when it applies in your state

In short

  • The ABCB published NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026, but each state and territory decides when it applies. There is no single national start date.
  • Victoria adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026. The ACT and Western Australia adopted it on 1 May 2026 with a 12 month window where either edition can be used, so it becomes mandatory there on 1 May 2027.
  • NSW, Queensland, South Australia (Building Code) and Tasmania stay on NCC 2022 until 30 April 2027 and move to NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027. The Northern Territory has not adopted NCC 2025.
  • The residential energy settings did not change. The 7 star and Whole of Home requirements from NCC 2022 carry through, and ministers have paused further residential changes until mid 2029, other than essential safety and quality measures.
  • The real changes sit in commercial energy efficiency, water management, carpark fire safety, condensation, sanitary facilities and Performance Solutions. State variations matter: NSW and Tasmania keep the NCC 2022 condensation rules.

Correct as at September 2026.

NCC 2025 is the most unevenly adopted edition of the National Construction Code in years. Three jurisdictions took it on 1 May 2026, three deferred it to 1 May 2027, Tasmania adopted it and then paused it five weeks later, and the Northern Territory has not adopted it at all.

So the useful question is not “what does NCC 2025 say?” It is “which edition applies to this project, in this state, on this date?” This guide answers that first, then covers what actually changed.

Where NCC 2025 applies today

JurisdictionNCC 2025 statusTransition
VictoriaAdopted 1 May 2026.No transition period listed. A building surveyor can allow the earlier edition where substantial progress was made on the design before adoption (Building Act 1993 s10, Minister’s Guideline MG-13). Lead-free plumbing products are required for plumbing work commenced on or after 1 May 2026, with no extension.
ACTCommenced 1 May 2026. Mandatory from 1 May 2027.Building approvals until 1 May 2027 can use NCC 2022 with the ACT 2022 Appendix or NCC 2025 with the ACT 2025 Appendix. The edition must be nominated and cannot be mixed. A development or works approval application lodged before 1 November 2026 can keep using either edition until that application expires.
Western AustraliaBCA 2025 adopted 1 May 2026.Most permit applications can use the Building Code in effect, or the one in effect 12 months before the application. BCA 2022 can be used until 30 April 2027. BCA 2025 is mandatory for most applications from 1 May 2027.
New South WalesNCC 2022 Amendment 2 applies. NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027.None before 1 May 2027.
QueenslandNCC 2022 applies to building and plumbing work. NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027.None before 1 May 2027.
South AustraliaPlumbing Code (Volume Three) of NCC 2025 adopted 1 May 2026. Building Code of NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027.NCC 2022 Amendment 2 remains the Building Code until 30 April 2027.
TasmaniaNCC 2022 applies. NCC 2025 from 1 May 2027.NCC 2025 applied from 1 May to 4 June 2026. The Building Amendment Act 2026 took effect on 5 June 2026 and reinstated NCC 2022, subject to transitional arrangements.
Northern TerritoryNot adopted.NCC 2022 and existing NT variations continue. No adoption date has been set.

Which edition applies to your project

Each jurisdiction uses its own trigger, so do not assume the rule you know from one state carries into another.

  • NSW ties the edition to when a complying development certificate or most construction certificate applications are lodged. That is how NCC 2022 Amendment 2 applied to applications lodged on or after 29 July 2025.
  • Western Australia ties it to when the permit application is made, with the 12 month choice built in.
  • The ACT ties it to the building approval date, with the 1 November 2026 exception for development and works approval applications.
  • Victoria and Tasmania give the building surveyor a discretion where design work was well advanced before adoption.

Whichever edition applies, apply it consistently. The ACT says so in terms: a project cannot comply with a mix of both editions.

The multi-state trap. A practice working in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane is running three positions at once: NCC 2025 in Victoria, NCC 2022 in NSW and Queensland until 30 April 2027, and state variations on top of each. A standard specification written for one will not transfer cleanly to the others.

What did not change: housing energy efficiency

At their meeting on 22 October 2025, Building Ministers agreed that EV charging provisions and residential energy efficiency changes would not be introduced in NCC 2025, and that voluntary embodied carbon provisions would be published as an ABCB guidance document instead. They also noted the Commonwealth position that no further residential changes, other than essential quality and safety measures, will be made until mid 2029.

For houses, that means the NCC 2022 settings carry through: the 7 star NatHERS minimum, the Whole of Home energy budget and the livable housing provisions. If your templates or client advice still say star ratings are rising under NCC 2025, correct them.

Two states have gone further on housing:

  • South Australia has a 10 year moratorium announced in August 2024 that holds the NCC 2022 minimums for Class 1 and Class 2 energy efficiency (7 star equivalent) and livable housing (silver level).
  • Western Australia has made the livable housing provisions and the separate heating and cooling load limits voluntary under the Building Amendment Regulations (No.2) 2026.

Housing is not completely untouched. The condensation changes apply to Class 1 buildings through Part 10.8 of the ABCB Housing Provisions.

What NCC 2025 did change

Commercial energy efficiency. For Class 3 and Class 5 to 9 buildings, the regulated energy allowance in J1P1 has been roughly halved and greenhouse gas emissions are now quantified. J9D5 now requires an on-site solar PV system to be installed, not just space for one, covering the available roof area (with listed exclusions) or meeting a minimum peak output per square metre of conditioned space. There are also electrification-ready requirements for gas systems, tighter fabric and HVAC provisions, broader lighting control options in J7 and higher NABERS targets in J1V1.

Water management. Parts F1 and F3 of Volume One are merged into a single Part F1 that covers sub-surface water as well as surface water. A concrete roof, balcony or podium now needs a structural substrate fall of at least 1:80, a 70 mm step down from the internal floor substrate where applicable, and a monolithic hob at least 70 mm high at the outer perimeter unless it drains directly to a gutter (F1D4).

Carpark fire safety. Open-deck carparks that form part of a multi-classified building and hold more than 40 vehicles need sprinklers, some fire resistance concessions are reduced, and every Class 7a carpark with car stackers needs sprinklers.

Condensation. Climate zones 1 and 3 are brought into the rules for the first time, wall membrane vapour permeance now depends on climate zone and wall construction, and drained and ventilated cavities are mandatory in climate zones 6, 7 and 8. Roof ventilation rules now depend on whether the insulation is parallel to the roof plane. See how to manage condensation in residential buildings for the detail.

Sanitary facilities. Part F4 adds sanitary product disposal in male facilities, menstruation product dispensers in female facilities in commercial buildings, more female closet pans in single auditorium theatres and cinemas, and an optional Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway for self-contained all gender facilities.

Performance Solutions. Expert Judgement is no longer an Assessment Method for fire safety or structural reliability Performance Solutions. Structural Performance Solutions for specified materials must also be shown to be at least equivalent to the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions, with a one year transition that runs from each jurisdiction’s adoption date.

State variations worth knowing

  • NSW: Part 10.8 of the Housing Provisions and Part F8 of Volume One do not apply. The NCC 2022 Amendment 2 condensation rules continue. NSW has also announced that apartment owners doing remedial work can choose either edition’s waterproofing requirements, and that the new energy efficiency standards will not apply to common areas of apartment buildings.
  • Tasmania: Housing Provisions Part 10.8 is replaced with the 2022 version.
  • Queensland: existing Schedule 7 variations continue. New variations remove some requirements for extra space and reserved capacity where gas is used in commercial buildings, and keep the existing rules for polyethylene drinking water pipes. The Queensland Development Code continues to vary whichever NCC edition is in effect.
  • Western Australia: a new WA addition covers fire separation of roofed outdoor areas, and bushfire construction requirements for schools and early childhood centres are voluntary until 30 April 2028.
  • Victoria: the Victorian Appendix has been cut from 115 variations and additions to 60 across the three volumes.

Your next steps

  1. List every live project by jurisdiction and confirm the edition that applies with the certifier or building surveyor.
  2. Flag NSW, Queensland, South Australian and Tasmanian jobs that may be lodged or approved after 30 April 2027.
  3. In the ACT, lodge development or works approval applications before 1 November 2026 if you want to keep the choice of edition.
  4. Remove any “star ratings are going up” wording from templates, proposals and client advice.
  5. Check the state variations before reusing a detail or specification across borders.

CPD on NCC 2025

These live courses cover the transition and the changes in more depth:

Planning your year? See the CPD requirements guide and the CPD deadlines calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When does NCC 2025 start in my state?

Victoria adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026. The ACT and Western Australia adopted it on 1 May 2026 with either edition available until it becomes mandatory on 1 May 2027. NSW, Queensland, South Australia (Building Code) and Tasmania move to NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027, and the Northern Territory has not adopted it.

Did NCC 2025 raise the 7 star NatHERS minimum?

No. Building Ministers agreed in October 2025 that residential energy efficiency changes would not be introduced in NCC 2025. The 7 star and Whole of Home requirements from NCC 2022 carry through, and further residential changes are paused until mid 2029 except for essential safety and quality measures.

Can I still use NCC 2022 in Victoria?

Only in limited cases. Victoria adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026 with no general transition period. A building surveyor can allow the earlier edition where substantial progress was made on the design before adoption, having regard to Minister’s Guideline MG-13.

Does lodging before 1 May 2027 lock in NCC 2022?

It depends on the state. NSW ties the edition to when a construction certificate or complying development certificate application is lodged, while the ACT ties it to the building approval date, with an exception for development applications lodged before 1 November 2026. Confirm the rule for your project with your certifier.

Do the NCC 2025 condensation rules apply in NSW and Tasmania?

Not in full. NSW has varied NCC 2025 so that Housing Provisions Part 10.8 and Volume One Part F8 do not apply, and the NCC 2022 Amendment 2 versions apply instead. Tasmania has replaced Housing Provisions Part 10.8 with the 2022 version.

Does NCC 2025 apply in the Northern Territory?

No. The NT Government declared that NCC 2025 will not apply from 1 May 2026, so the Territory keeps NCC 2022 and its existing variations. No adoption date has been set.

Sources