South Australia’s Housing Roadmap presents a significant opportunity for addressing housing needs, but there are ongoing concerns regarding the potential for compromised quality.
Kirstie Coultas, President of the South Australian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, underscores the necessity of maintaining at least the minimum standards established by the National Construction Code to prevent a legacy of substandard housing. She highlights that builders can exceed these standards to create highly durable homes that perform well in all conditions — a goal often pursued by clients and architects alike.
Updates in the National Construction Code
The National Construction Code (NCC), which sets the foundational requirements for buildings across Australia, undergoes a revision every three years. Consultation on the 2025 draft has recently closed and introduces measures designed to tackle persistent issues like condensation — a significant health and structural concern.
“Next year’s NCC 2025 will contain important new or strengthened provisions to address condensation,” says Coultas.
“Condensation leads to the growth of mould, which has been termed by many concerned as the nation’s ‘next asbestos’. Not only can mould lead to serious health impacts, but it can cause catastrophic degradation to buildings, like a hidden cancer.”
The NCC 2025 provisions also include waterproofing and water-shedding measures to address another highly prevalent problem of leaky homes and apartments.
Additionally, the updated code introduces stronger measures to improve reliability for the predicted performance of housing structural requirements, fire-safety and provision of charging facilities in apartment developments given Australia’s rapid take-up of electric vehicles.
Potential implications of freezing standards
Coultas articulates the architectural profession’s concerns and says the South Australian Housing Roadmap’s proposal to lock in NCC standards from 2022 or even 2019 for the next decade raises serious concerns.
“Locking standards in place for ten years would be akin to freezing the evolution of our cars or mobile phones — it’s simply unacceptable for the housing sector,” she says.
Coultas warns that this could result in significant quality and efficiency issues, echoing findings from a 2021 Australian Building Codes Board study prepared by the Centre for International Economics, which estimated the cost per annum of South Australian building defects to be $82 million as seen in 5000 free-standing houses, 2,000 townhouses and 3,000 apartments.
From the study’s survey of 1,605 homeowners, the most common types of all reported defects in free-standing houses in South Australia were plumbing and drainage (18%), roof/rainwater disposal (19%) and structural (17%). For South Australian townhouses, almost one quarter of defects (23%) related to waterproofing/ weatherproofing.
“Over the long term, South Australians will be left with homes that are more costly to run and less comfortable or resilient against weather extremes by not moving beyond a 7-star energy efficiency standard,” says Coultas.
“The roadmap also misses opportunities for innovations in modular housing, which are better addressed in updated codes.”
advocating for strategic collaboration
In the context of national housing challenges, Coultas emphasises the need for a balanced approach that does not force a trade-off between quantity and quality.
“Governments are under pressure to meet housing quotas, but this should not come at the expense of resilience, durability, or sustainability — we need to aim for solutions that achieve all these objectives.”
Coultas highlights that the SA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects is eager to collaborate with the government to find a positive path forward.
“Our commitment is to the quality of the built environment, ensuring the best housing outcomes for South Australians.”
We are seeking South Australian Institute members who can contribute to preparing a response to the Housing Roadmap and the Future Living Code Amendment and in engaging with the City of Adelaide on ARCHI. If you are interested in being involved please contact Emily Sharp at sa@architecture.com.au . All contributions are welcome and we look forward to working with you.
For all further media inquiries, please contact:
Meg Boyle, on behalf of the Australian Institute of Architects [meg.boyle@architecture.com.au].
