July CEO Update - Judith Blake

At the beginning of July, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) moved from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to the Treasury Portfolio. The ABCB has joined Treasury’s Housing Group, as part of the Commonwealth Administrative Arrangement Orders to support the Australian Government Minister for Housing. 

The move will provide greater alignment, efficiency and focus to implement the government’s important housing agenda, in collaboration with the states and territories, as well as industry.

The ABCB published NCC 2022 Amendment 2 on 29 July 2025. This is a procedural amendment to align the National Construction Code (NCC) with recent changes to the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) that came into effect on that date.

These changes to the Premises Standards are a result of the Premises Standards Review 2021. The Premises Standards are reviewed to check they are achieving their objectives and to identify any improvements needed. This update will continue to improve access to public buildings for people with a disability.

NCC 2022 should be read with consideration of the amendments outlined in both NCC 2022 Amendment 2 and in NCC 2022 Amendment 1.

You can read more about the amended Premises Standards and the NCC in our news article.

Although we’re still settling into our new location, we’re committed to improving understanding and compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC). If you use the NCC, look out for new education materials and other resources, including our ‘Fact Friday’ social media series. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow the ABCB on LinkedIn and Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news. 

I understand there is a lot of interest in the progress of NCC 2025. While I don’t have any news to share in this update, we'll communicate any updates via our website, newsletter and social media channels.

From 19-21 August, the Treasurer will be leading the Economic Reform Roundtable, supported by other key ministers. This important event will focus on 3 key themes: 

• Making our economy more productive.
• Building resilience in the face of global uncertainty.
• Strengthening the budget and making it more sustainable. 

The Treasury’s Housing Group is helping to support this important event.

The ABCB’s work to facilitate increased use of prefabricated and modular construction in Australia aims to support productivity growth in the housing construction sector. As part of this work, we are seeking feedback on a new certification scheme for manufacturers of modern methods of construction. 

We have released an issues paper for the National Voluntary Certification Scheme for Manufacturers of Modern Methods of Construction. We’re keen to hear your feedback and comments on questions raised throughout the paper. Your input will help us develop the Scheme, along with consistent definitions for modern methods of construction to be included in the NCC. Please read the paper and submit your feedback on our Consultation Hub. 

We look forward to continuing to engage with the building and construction industry and all those connected with the ABCB’s work.

Regards

Judith