CBOS has recently contacted stakeholders to provide an update on the status of the Building Amendment Bill 2026 and the application of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2025 in Tasmania.
Status of the Bill
The Building Amendment Bill 2026, which is intended to pause the commencement of NCC 2025 and ensure NCC 2022 continues to apply in Tasmania, has passed the House of Assembly but has not yet passed the Legislative Council, which does not sit again until May 19.
As the Bill has not been passed by both House of Parliament before the scheduled commencement date, NCC 2025 will commence in Tasmania on 1 May 2026.
Implications
NCC 2025 will apply to new building approvals from 1 May 2026.
The Building Act 2016 contains transitional provisions that may apply during this period.
Under section 11(5) of the Act allows exemptions from specific provisions of the NCC where:
- a certificate of likely compliance for the work was issued before 1 May 2026, or
- the building surveyor or relevant permit authority certifies in writing that substantial progress had been made on the design of the work before adoption of the provision by the State, or
- substantial progress had occurred before any relevant referenced standard was amended.
In practical terms, NCC 2025 is expected to apply principally to new projects that had not reached substantial design progress before 1 May 2026.
Builders and homeowners are encouraged to discuss these changes with their building surveyor to understand how these transitional arrangements may apply.
Further information
If you have any questions about these changes, please contact us by emailing cbos.info@justice.tas.gov.au or by phoning 1300 654 499.
CBOS will issue a reminder when NCC 2025 commences in Tasmania and will provide further information when consideration of the Building Amendment Bill 2026 by the Legislative Council is completed.
The Institute has been in correspondence with CBOS to provide further information, and from this, CBOS has indicated that the Bill has yet to be discussed by the Legislative Council, and will be discussed following the Greyhound Bill as a priority in the week of May 18, once the Legislative Council commences sitting.
Cover image: Nina Hamilton