Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for Housing, Homelessness, Planning and Building met at Parliament House on Ngunnawal lands today for the second Joint Ministerial Meeting on Housing Supply and Affordability.
Ministers discussed current housing market conditions and reaffirmed their commitment to tackling housing affordability and cost‑of‑living pressures by accelerating reforms that lift productivity and deliver more homes, more quickly.
Ministers committed to modernise the National Construction Code (NCC), recognising a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to transform how Australia builds. Ministers agreed to pursue reforms to boost construction productivity, reduce regulatory burden, and support the uptake of modern methods of construction and faster housing delivery through a more nationally consistent building system which leads to high‑quality housing.
Ministers noted the Australian Government's $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund, which will help deliver the critical enabling infrastructure needed to turn developable land into new homes. The Local Infrastructure Fund will unlock up to 65,000 new homes over the next decade.
Ministers acknowledged tangible progress being delivered through shared planning and zoning reforms, with more homes enabled in well‑located areas, faster approval pathways and a growing pipeline of development‑ready land. Ministers welcomed signs that housing construction has strengthened, with dwelling completions up 15.9 per cent over the year to the June quarter 2026 and a record 248,733 homes under construction. Building approvals have been trending up over the past year, and in August 2026 were 10.3 per cent higher than a year ago. Ministers remain committed to increasing housing supply through the National Housing Accord, National Planning Reform Blueprint, as well as reforms and initiatives being delivered by jurisdictions.
Ministers also heard from Ms Danielle Wood, Chair of the Productivity Commission, on the Commission's Interim Report on Housing Supply Regulation and opportunities for further reform to boost housing supply.
Ministers noted significant progress underway in delivering new social and affordable homes. Under the Commonwealth's target of 55,000 social and affordable housing dwellings, more than 8,000 dwellings have been completed, with more than 11,000 additional dwellings in construction and over 10,000 in planning and pre‑construction. Delivery has been underway across over 3,000 sites in every state and territory.
Ministers agreed to renewed national consideration of affordable housing policies including through community housing provider regulatory reform and the development of a common national framework. Ministers also agreed to support and enable work towards future growth in social and affordable housing investment, whilst retaining flexibility to respond to local housing markets and existing jurisdictional arrangements.
Following the Joint Ministerial Meeting, Ministers participated in a Roundtable with representatives from investors, modular housing manufacturers, unions and construction companies on improving uptake of modern methods of construction. Ministers and Industry agreed to strengthen collaboration to encourage investment and productivity through the building of homes using innovative approaches.
Shared statement of reform commitment to modernising the NCC
NCC modernisation reforms are designed to support a genuinely National Construction Code (NCC) by improving consistency and usability to help lift productivity in the construction sector for new housing while maintaining the high building quality standards expected by Australians.
To support NCC modernisation, the Commonwealth, States and Territories agree the following reform directions and preliminary work.
Simplify NCC access and use
Jurisdictions agree:
- to work together on nationally agreed reforms aimed at making the NCC simpler and easier to use, including through improved digital delivery.
- the ABCB will commence preliminary work, in consultation with jurisdictions and industry, to:
- deliver NCC 25 digitally and make it AI‑ready
- explore pilot digital tools, including AI, for NCC 2025
- improve code readability, usability and clarity by:
- refining the NCC using clearer language
- reviewing to remove excess content, outdated, duplicated and inconsistent provisions
- reordering requirements to consider user needs, building classifications and core requirements
- creating simple solution manuals
- drawing on evidence and user feedback, including working to establish national evidence registers
Recommit to a national market
Jurisdictions agree:
- to support a single national market through a national code to unlock competition, productivity, and innovation in Australia's construction sector.
- to work together:
- on a process to analyse variations with a view to identify inconsistencies and understand reasons for NCC variations.
Tougher, more rigorous cost‑benefit analysis and decision making (governance reform)
Jurisdictions agree:
- to work together on governance reforms, based on the follow guiding principles:
- policy direction should be set by Ministers, with technical code decisions enacted by the ABCB, informed by advice from regulators, jurisdictions and industry.
- policy and technical decisions should be supported, where practical, by transparent, fit‑for‑purpose cost-benefit analysis, including consideration of impact on commercial feasibility for new housing.
- ensure the ABCB has an appropriate design, structure, responsibilities and funding to deliver its role.
Enable innovation and products
Jurisdictions agree to work together to establish clear, nationally consistent and scalable pathways to accelerate uptake of safe, innovative products and methods, ensuring alignment with existing National Competition Policy reforms, including efforts to support the adoption of modular and prefabricated construction.
Reducing the cost of demonstrating compliance
Jurisdictions agree to work together to design and implement risk‑based proportionate ways of demonstrating compliance with the National Construction Code, tailored to building type and complexity.
