NCC 2025 adoption timelines – a fragmented national pathway emerging
7 April 2026
While NCC 2025 is available for adoption from 1 May 2026, jurisdictions are taking varied approaches, including early adoption, delayed implementation, staged rollouts, and pausing elements of the update.
AMCA is continuing to monitor the adoption of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2025 across all states and territories, with early announcements confirming a fragmented national rollout.
While NCC 2025 is available for adoption from 1 May 2026, jurisdictions are taking varied approaches, including early adoption, delayed implementation, staged rollouts, and in some cases, policy positions to pause elements of the update.
For industry, this creates increasing complexity. Contractors, designers, and suppliers operating across multiple jurisdictions will be required to navigate different NCC editions, varying commencement dates, and jurisdiction-specific provisions, often within the same project pipeline.
NCC 2025 adoption status by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction |
Adoption date |
Key changes / deviations / notes |
| Australian Capital Territory |
1 May 2026 (mandatory from 1 November 2026) |
6-month transition period allowing use of either NCC 2022 or NCC 2025. ACT-specific appendix to accompany NCC 2025. |
| New South Wales |
1 May 2027 |
Delayed adoption. Variations include flexibility for apartment remedial waterproofing works and exclusion of NCC 2025 energy efficiency provisions for common areas of apartment buildings. |
| Northern Territory |
Yet to announce |
No formal announcement on adoption timing or variations. |
| Queensland |
1 May 2027 |
Delayed adoption. NCC 2022 remains in force until this date. State-specific variations to be confirmed. |
| South Australia |
Yet to announce (staged approach) |
Staged / delayed implementation approach expected via Ministerial Building Standards. Broader policy settings indicate use of extended transition periods and deferral of certain provisions. |
| Tasmania |
Not adopting (current position) |
Government has announced a policy position to freeze implementation of proposed NCC 2025 changes. |
| Victoria |
1 May 2026 |
Early adoption aligned with national release. Includes introduction of lead-free plumbing product requirements. |
| Western Australia |
Yet to announce |
No formal announcement on adoption timing or variations. |
AMCA position
AMCA is actively engaging with Building Ministers and government stakeholders to advocate for a more consistent and timely adoption of NCC 2025 across all jurisdictions.
Importantly, the latest updates to the NCC, along with referenced standards—particularly AS 1668.2:2024—introduce improved design methodologies, updated performance data, and more efficient system approaches that deliver measurable cost benefits to the HVAC industry.
These changes are intended to:
- reduce overdesign and improve system efficiency
- align with contemporary technology and control strategies
- support more practical and cost-effective compliance pathways
Given these benefits, AMCA’s position is that adoption of NCC 2025 should be:
- accelerated where possible, and
- aligned more closely with the national publication cycle,
to ensure industry can realise these efficiencies without unnecessary delay or regulatory inconsistency.
AMCA will continue to provide updates as further jurisdictional announcements are made.
