Following a pivotal meeting at Parliament House in Canberra, Standards Australia has taken decisive steps to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the construction industry: Accessibility to Australian Standards. Standards Australia acknowledged that fragmented, outdated and costly access to standards is a critical issue and removing access barriers will support the timely delivery of housing and infrastructure aligned with the National Construction Code (NCC).

Standards play an essential role in ensuring safer, high-quality and consistent construction outcomes. Standards Australia also recognises the longstanding contributions of industry stakeholders in shaping these standards and the shared goals of government and industry to lift housing supply, improve construction quality, guide the transition to net zero and drive national productivity.

In response, Standards Australia committed to working collaboratively with government and industry to develop a national standards access model. This model aims to eliminate the financial and logistical barriers to accessing standards mandated by law, thereby enhancing compliance tools and empowering practitioners across the sector.

“Collaborating with government and industry to reduce upfront costs presents a significant opportunity to cut red tape, enhance the accessibility of the National Construction Code, and increase the practical use of Australian Standards across the sector,” Standards Australia chief development officer Adam Stingemore says.

This initiative also aligns with Standards Australia’s broader goals to modernise its standards development process through an ongoing end-to-end review. Launched in August 2025, the review is designed to ensure that the standards system remains robust, transparent and responsive to Australia’s evolving needs – particularly in the face of rapid technological change, shifting policy priorities and the need for greater international alignment.

Recognising that meaningful reform must be informed by those who use and shape standards every day, Standards Australia has actively invited industry experts, technical contributors and sector stakeholders to participate in the review. Their insights are considered vital to identifying friction points, proposing practical improvements and ensuring that the standards system reflects real-world needs.

Participants were engaged through workshops, interviews and written submissions, with consultation sessions held across major cities and online to ensure broad accessibility. The consultation paper outlined key areas for feedback, including the integration of digital tools and artificial intelligence to enhance drafting, consultation and quality assurance processes. These innovations are expected to support smarter, more integrated standards and a regulatory framework that is fit for purpose in 2025 and beyond.

While access to standards is being addressed through separate mechanisms, the review reinforces the importance of removing barriers to participation and ensuring that standards development is inclusive, transparent and aligned with national reform goals.

The outcomes of both the access initiative and the development review will be shared publicly, ensuring transparency and accountability. Together, these efforts mark a significant step toward a more accessible, efficient and future-ready standards system for Australia.

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