Cutaway model of a small raised Queensland home with an open battened subfloor and a covered deck with a ceiling fan, on a warm-to-cool gradient background.

Queensland’s new energy pathways: the 5-star small home and 6-star raised floor options

In short

  • QDC Mandatory Part 4.1 version 1.16 commenced in Queensland on 14 August 2026. It adds new thermal performance pathways for Class 1 homes.
  • A small home (a detached Class 1 building of 50 m² or less) can comply with a 5-star NatHERS rating, or 4.5 stars plus a 0.5-star credit, or 4 stars plus a 1-star credit.
  • A home with raised floor construction (at least 50% of the floor area over an unenclosed space) can comply with 6 stars, or 5.5 stars plus 0.5, or 5 stars plus 1.
  • On both pathways the separate heating and cooling load limits do not apply, but the total thermal energy load limit still does.
  • These are extra options. The standard 7-star NatHERS route under the NCC still stands, and whole-of-home energy usage must still be met separately.

Correct as at September 2026.

Queensland quietly changed the energy maths for two kinds of house in August. If you design granny flats, tiny homes or classic Queenslanders up on stumps, or you rate them, the number you are aiming for may no longer be 7.

Here is what QDC MP 4.1 version 1.16 actually says, and what it means at the design desk and in the software.

What changed on 14 August

MP 4.1 (Sustainable buildings) is the Queensland code that sits alongside the NCC energy efficiency provisions. Version 1.16 was published on 3 August 2026 and commenced on 14 August 2026. The code’s own change log sums it up in four words: “Additional thermal performance pathways”.

The important word is additional. Acceptable solution A1(1) says the new pathways sit “in addition to” the acceptable solutions under H6D2(1) of the NCC. The 7-star NatHERS route has not gone anywhere. You now have more doors to walk through, not a different one.

The small home pathway

MP 4.1 defines a small home as a detached Class 1 building with a floor area of 50 m² or less. Note the wording: 50 m² or less, and detached.

A small home, and any enclosed Class 10a building attached to it, complies with the thermal performance requirement (H6P1) if it achieves:

  • a 5-star NatHERS rating; or
  • a 4.5-star rating plus a 0.5-star nominal credit; or
  • a 4-star rating plus a 1-star nominal credit.

That lines up neatly with the Queensland Housing Code’s 50 m² cap on secondary dwellings, which is exactly why designers of detached granny flats should read this part closely.

The raised floor pathway

Raised floor construction means a building where at least 50% of the total floor area is over an unenclosed space. An unenclosed space is one not bounded by a wall or other substantially solid perimeter construction, although battens, lattice or screening that lets air through is allowed.

A Class 1 building with raised floor construction complies if it achieves:

  • a 6-star NatHERS rating; or
  • a 5.5-star rating plus a 0.5-star nominal credit; or
  • a 5-star rating plus a 1-star nominal credit.

Enclose the subfloor with solid walls and the building no longer meets the definition. That is a detail worth flagging to clients who plan to “close it in later”.

How the outdoor living area credits work

The nominal credits come from the QDC, on top of the NatHERS rating. They need an outdoor living area, which MP 4.1 defines as an external space that:

  • is directly accessible from, and attached to, a living area such as a lounge, kitchen, dining or family room;
  • has at least 12 m² of floor area and a minimum dimension of 2.5 m in all directions;
  • is fully covered by an impervious roof;
  • for a Class 1 building, has two or more sides open or able to be readily opened; and
  • has at least 900 mm between each open side and a boundary or an obstruction to the breeze path.
CreditWhat the outdoor living area needs
0.5 starFully covered by an impervious roof with a Total R-Value of at least 1.5 for downward heat flow.
1 starAs above, plus at least one permanently installed ceiling fan with a speed controller serving the area.

Each fan can serve no more than 15 m² if its blade diameter is under 1,200 mm, or 25 m² if it is 1,200 mm or more. A generous deck can therefore need more than one fan to earn the full star.

The load limits: what is dropped and what stays

This is the part most likely to trip people up. For the small home and raised floor pathways, A1(6) says:

  • compliance with the separate heating load limit and separate cooling load limit is not required; and
  • compliance with the total thermal energy load limit is required.

So the change removes the separate caps. It does not remove load limits altogether. Assessors still need to check the total thermal energy load.

Energy usage still applies. A1(11) says nothing in these pathways affects the requirement to comply with H6P2 (energy usage) of the NCC. The nominal credits count only towards thermal performance. Whole-of-home compliance is demonstrated separately.

What this means for designers and assessors

For designers: decide the pathway at concept stage. The floor area, whether the subfloor stays open, and the size and roof of the deck all decide which pathway is available. Draw the outdoor living area dimensions, roof R-Value and fan layout clearly, because the credit depends on them.

For assessors: confirm the definition is met before you rate to a lower target. Check the floor area against the 50 m² limit, the share of floor over an unenclosed space, and whether the credit conditions are shown on the drawings. Then record which MP 4.1 pathway you are relying on, so the certifier can follow your reasoning.

One question is still open. Queensland moves to NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027. Whether MP 4.1 will be updated to match has not been confirmed, so watch for a new version before then.

CPD to back it up

These live courses cover the rating and passive design skills behind the new pathways:

Working in Queensland? Our free three page Queensland guide covers the Housing Code, granny flats and these energy pathways side by side. Get the free Queensland guide. See also CPD in Queensland, the CPD requirements guide and the CPD deadlines calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When did QDC MP 4.1 version 1.16 commence?

QDC Mandatory Part 4.1 version 1.16 was published on 3 August 2026 and commenced on 14 August 2026. It added new thermal performance pathways for Class 1 buildings in Queensland.

What star rating does a small home need in Queensland?

Under QDC MP 4.1, a detached Class 1 building of 50 m² or less can comply with a 5-star NatHERS rating, a 4.5-star rating plus a 0.5-star outdoor living area credit, or a 4-star rating plus a 1-star credit.

What counts as raised floor construction under MP 4.1?

Raised floor construction means at least 50% of the building’s total floor area is over an unenclosed space. Such a home can comply with 6 stars, or 5.5 stars plus a 0.5-star credit, or 5 stars plus a 1-star credit.

Do heating and cooling load limits still apply on these pathways?

The separate heating and cooling load limits are not required on the small home and raised floor pathways. The total thermal energy load limit is still required.

Has Queensland dropped the 7-star requirement?

No. The new pathways are additional acceptable solutions. The 7-star NatHERS route under the NCC still stands, and energy usage (whole-of-home) compliance must still be shown separately.

Sources