The Australian Sustainable Building Efficiency Council (ASBEC) has expressed their concern over the poor enforcement of the National Construction Code (NCC) across Australia.

Kingspan Insulation fully supports ASBEC in their mission to ensure Australians get the buildings they pay for in terms of health, comfort and energy efficiency.

Building Confidence Report

The Building Confidence Report (BCR), commissioned in 2018 by Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir, assessed the effectiveness of compliance and the enforcement of systems for the building and construction industry across Australia. These recommendations were to serve as a model of best practice to ensure the effective implementation of the National Construction Code (NCC). The report identified 22 recommendations, focusing on:

  • Education, training and licensing requirements
  • Regulatory oversight
  • Integrity of private building surveyors
  • Sharing building information
  • Approval of documentation/ record keeping
  • Inspection regimes
  • Post-construction information management
  • Complex buildings – Design, Construction and Certification

ASBEC’s recommendations

While ASBEC advocates the 22 recommendations suggested in the Shergold and Weirs report, they also acknowledge that the NCC continues to be poorly enforced. In addition, ASBEC worked closely with industry leaders to collate 25 critical policy responses with the aim to improve everyday buildings for Australians.

ASBEC’s policy responses aim to deliver:  

  • Key competencies and accreditation for building professionals who undertake energy efficiency assessments;
  • Nationally consistent system of regulatory oversight to ensure energy efficiency standards are met;
  • Building documentation and permits to ensure that energy and sustainability provisions in the code are properly addressed;
  • Logbook that can be audited and passed on to subsequent owners to ensure building compliance throughout their lifecycle.

A consistent and compliant approach to building codes, BCR recommendations and NCC energy efficiency standards across all states and territories will ensure that health, comfort and energy efficiency are guaranteed for Australians in their buildings.

ASBEC executive director, Suzanne Toumbourou stated, “Enforcing the NCC is a massive opportunity to improve the buildings where Australians live, work and shop. It can keep future energy costs down for families and businesses, at a time when the financial future is uncertain.”

ASBEC’s full response can be found here.