Propose a Change

The National Construction Code (NCC) is updated every 3 years based on public feedback, industry research and trends, and ministerial policy direction. Suggestions can be submitted any time as a Proposal for Change (PFC).

If you would like to propose a change to the NCC, you will need to provide justification to support your proposal. Justification should be proportionate to the extent of the proposed change and/or its potential impacts.

Your Proposal for Change submission should include:

• a description of the proposal
• an explanation of the problem the proposal is designed to resolve
• evidence of the existence of the problem
• how the proposal is expected to solve the problem
• what alternatives to regulation have been considered, and why those alternatives are not preferred?
• who will be affected and how they will be affected
• any consultation that has taken place.

Note, proposals should only address technical issues. Proposals that address public policy matters will not be considered through the Proposal for Change process.   

Submitted proposals are reviewed and considered for tabling at a meeting of the relevant ABCB building and/or plumbing technical committee.

If the proposal is considered to have merit, the committee/s may recommend that changes be included in the public comment draft of the relevant NCC edition.

Please reconsider submitting your proposal if it:

• involves matters outside the scope of the NCC
• would make no material change to a provision.

A Proposal for Change and any accompanying information submitted will not be publicly released unless required by law but will be made available to the ABCB and its committees. Information collected may be subject to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

If you would like to submit a Proposal for Change, please read the detailed Guideline to Preparing a PFC, which provides useful assistance in the preparation of Proposals for Change.

A Proposal for Change must be developed using the Proposal for Change template, in Microsoft Word format only. Where multiple changes are proposed, please submit a separate Proposal for Change document for each proposed change.

The completed Proposal for Change document may be submitted via ncc@abcb.gov.au.

Proposals for Change are welcome from anyone at any time and will be considered for possible inclusion in a future edition of the NCC. Note, this may not be the next edition of the NCC, as explained below.

Please note: 

• We provide a closing date for proposals that may be considered for inclusion in the next edition of the NCC. 
• However, even if you submit a Proposal for Change by the closing date, your proposal is not guaranteed for inclusion in the next edition of the NCC. 
• Proposals submitted after the closing date will not be considered for the next edition of the NCC but may be considered for future editions.
• There are many factors that must be considered with each Proposal for Change. 
• We recommend submissions be made as early as possible to give the ABCB and its committees sufficient time for consideration. 

Submissions for proposed changes to NCC 2028 are now open. The closing date for submissions will be provided soon. 

Please remember that submitting a Proposal for Change before the closing date does not guarantee inclusion in the NCC 2028 Public Comment Draft. 

Submissions for proposed changes to NCC 2025 closed on 1 August 2023.