PWDA submission to the Federal Department of Treasury's call for ideas on Streamlining and Modernising of the National Construction Code
23 February 2026
PWDA responded to the Federal Department of Treasury's call for ideas on Streamlining and Modernising of the National Construction Code (NCC). We are supported in this submission by Disability Advocacy NSW, who provide free individual advocacy support services in NSW.
PWDA co-chairs, with the Physical Disability Council of NSW, the Building Better Homes Campaign that calls for all states in Australia to implement the standards included in the National Construction Code of 2022. At this time NSW and Western Australia refuse to do this.
The lack of accessible housing is a barrier to people with disability being able to access housing or support services when fleeing domestic and family violence.
In October 2023, PWDA made a submission to the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Issues paper. We detailed our experience supporting people with disability when housing and homelessness was a primary or secondary issue. We also shared our experience from the Building Access project working with Domestic and Family Violence services in NSW to improve the accessibility of crisis accommodation for women and their children.
Twenty five percent of our total individual advocacy support to people with disability work relates to housing and homelessness.
Building all new housing to NCC standards will increase the proportion of accessible housing, enabling people with disability and access needs to have greater choice over where they live.
PWDA supports in principle:
- Reforms to the Governance and process of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB),
- Reducing Complexity and the regulatory burden– especially by reducing state and territory variations in the application of the accessible design standards within the NCC
- Making the NCC more useable through making it easier to navigate and understand
- Removing barriers to the uptake of new materials, products and modern methods of construction (MMC) provided accessibility standards are maintained
It is critical to ensure that these reforms take the opportunity to uphold and enforce the application of the NCC and the Livable Housing Design Standard for housing accessibility, nation-wide.
There is also a requirement in the Australia's Disability Strategy Targeted Action Plans Report 2025 - Inclusive Homes and Communities report for all governments over the next 3 years to work with people with disability to achieve its goal relating to people with disability living in inclusive, accessible, and well-designed homes and communities.
The NCC's role should be setting national minimum standards, and providing ways to encourage the use of best practice. The inconsistent adoption and application of the NCC has led to over 25% (600 pages) of its 2000 pages being dedicate to state and territory variations. This unnecessary difficulty could be avoided through consistent application of the standards nation-wide.
