Overview

• Further changes to the National Construction Code are paused until mid-2029, with exceptions for essential safety and quality and a possible move to a longer review cycle.
• A new team inside the environment department will fast-track decisions on more than 26,000 homes in the federal approvals pipeline, with priority for robust applications.
• Officials stress that projects must still meet environmental protections and that faster processing does not guarantee approval outcomes.
• The government will pilot AI to help users navigate the code and to streamline environmental assessments, with technical and governance details yet to be set out.
• The steps follow the Economic Reform Roundtable, were welcomed by the Property Council, and are paired with efforts to boost superannuation investment and modern construction methods such as prefab.