From 1 October 2023 the National Construction Code requires all new housing to meet the Livable Housing Design Standard.
Regulation will lead to more inclusive and sustainable communities now and in the future.
An increased supply of universally designed mainstream housing is critical to the success of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Aged Care Reforms.
The United Nations recommends regulation
In October 2019, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in its Concluding Observations found that a significant proportion of existing buildings are not accessible due to the lack of mandated national access requirements for housing in the NCC.
The Committee recommended that Australia amend the NCC to include mandatory rules on access for all new and extensively modified housing.
The net benefit for Australians outweigh the costs
The Melbourne Disability Institute and Summer Foundation submissions were instrumental to proving that mandating access in housing would substantially benefit Australians:
- Social benefits substantially outweigh the costs to society. See report.
- People with disability have adverse mental health effects, require more support, and have reduced opportunity to work, because of inaccessible housing design. See report.
- Housing designs already incorporate access features into homes, but not in a systematic way. See report.
Activities and reports
Below is a list of the most recent reports and submissions that support the regulation of an access standard in all new housing in the National Construction Code.
Australian Network for Universal Housing Design
- September 2021-ANUHD submission to The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue on the Contribution of tax and regulation on housing affordability and supply
- August 2021 – ANUHD response to NSW SEPP review
- June 2021 – ANUHD response to the draft NCC Livable Housing Design standard (Silver level)
- March 2021 – ANUHD submission to Disability Royal Commission: Promoting Inclusion Issues Paper
- October 2020 – ANUHD submission to the New National Disability Strategy
- October 2020 – ANUHD submission to the review of Premises Standard
- August 2020 – ANUHD submission to the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement for accessible housing
- June 2020 – ANUHD submission to the Disability Royal Commission: Rights and Attitudes Issues Paper
- December 2019 – ANUHD submission to the Disability Royal Commission
- November 2019 – ANUHD submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission
- October 2019 – ANUHD submission to the City of Canterbury-Bankstown
- September 2019 – UNCRPD Committee Concluding observations on the combined second and third reports of Australia
- October 2018 – ANUHD submission to ABCB Accessible Housing Options Paper
- June 2018 – ANUHD Survey report released
- February 2016 -ANUHD Proposal for Change to the ABCB (refused)
- January 2015 – ANUHD Progress Report on the National Dialogue on Universal Housing Design
Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) publications
- February 2022 – Report on the ABCB Livable Housing project
- February 2021 – ABCB Decision RIS
- July 2020 – ABCB Consultation RIS
- April 2019 – ABCB Accessible Housing Options Paper Report
- September 2018 – ABCB Options Paper
Australian Network for Universal Housing Design 