Overview

• Further residential updates to the National Construction Code will be paused until mid‑2029 once the 2025 changes are finalised, with essential safety and quality amendments still allowed and the 2022 seven‑star energy standards retained.
• A specialised environment department strike team will prioritise assessments for more than 26,000 homes under the EPBC Act, with faster decisions promised but no guarantee of approvals and all environmental requirements unchanged.
• The government will pilot artificial intelligence to help users navigate the code and to accelerate environmental assessment workflows for housing projects.
• Industry groups including the Property Council of Australia and Master Builders Australia welcomed the move as a way to cut red tape, while social and environmental advocates warned of risks to equity and nature protection if reforms are misapplied.
• Officials will consult on streamlining the code, consider a longer update cycle, encourage prefabricated and modular construction, seek more superannuation investment in housing, and work with states and territories to speed planning and zoning.