The Tasmanian government has announced plans to defer the next two National Construction Code (NCC) updates by up to six years.
The updates, which were scheduled for 2025, will be on hold until 2028.
The government attributed the delay to a “massive amount of regulatory fatigue.”
The NCC sets minimum standards for the construction of new homes and buildings across the country, with updates typically scheduled every three years.
The Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand (ICANZ) has questioned the decision claiming it threatens the harmonisation goals of the National Construction Code in providing nationally consistent, minimum necessary standards of relevant safety.
ICANZ CEO, Janine Strachan, said the decision means that Tasmanian homes will be built below the future standards that will be required for healthy, comfortable, and climate-resilient living into the future.
“What is difficult to understand is how the government intends to achieve a balance between meeting their carbon reduction goals of 50% of 2005 levels by 2030 and locking in the standard of buildings in the face of a changing climate and the health of Tasmanians in a changing climate,” she said.
“Australia already lags international peers in building and construction standards.
“This decision means that residents of South Australia will experience lower construction standards compared to those enjoyed by Australians in other states and territories.
“It also represents a missed opportunity to ensure Tasmanians benefit from innovative building products and solutions, efficient, and resilient housing.”
The Insulation Council warned that while the Housing Industry Association and Master Builders Tasmania have applauded this announcement it is the long-term impacts on Tasmanian households on delivering cheaper housing, which is of concern when faced with a changing climate.
ICANZ members argue that while the Tasmanian government may have consulted with the building associations, they clearly left out the building product manufacturing industry that could have advised on the emergence of innovative building materials and actual material costs to achieve energy efficiency upgrades.
“The government claims the decision will bring stable building conditions to Tasmania and provide long term certainty to the industry when in fact it will just push South Australian housing further behind best practice,” Strachan said.
“The insulation industry has been, and continues to be, ready to collaborate with the construction sector on solutions to enhance energy efficiency building standards while maintaining profitability.”