Nick Johns-Wickberg
The National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 requirements for new livable housing and updated energy efficiency and condensation management will come into effect on May 1, 2024 in Victoria.
From this date, practitioners in Victoria must comply with the new requirements, unless exempted under section 10 of the Building Act 1993. More information about the application of section 10 is available in the updated Minister’s Guideline MG-13.
Livable housing
The new provisions will improve the suitability of new Australian homes for people with reduced mobility.
The Livable Housing Design Standard is a significant improvement that will provide housing designed to better meet the needs of the community, including older Australians and those with a mobility-related disability.
Energy efficiency and condensation management
The new energy efficiency provisions strengthen minimum requirements for the energy efficiency of new homes, while the new condensation management provisions further decrease health risks associated with condensation in new homes.
These changes will make homes cheaper to run, more comfortable to live in and more resilient to extreme weather.
Victoria is also removing barriers to the installation of efficient electric hot water systems, helping households capture further benefits from investing in solar panels, and supporting those who choose all-electric new homes.
VBA resources
Before the new requirements become mandatory, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is encouraging practitioners to familiarise themselves with the changes by reviewing Australian Building Codes Board’s webinar series and resources and the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) NCC 2022 webpage.
The VBA has published a series of Practitioner Education Series webinars to assist practitioners with the NCC 2022 changes:
- Livable housing webinar
- Energy efficiency Volume 1 webinar
- Energy efficiency Volume 2 webinar
- Introduction to condensation management webinar
- Waterproofing of wet areas webinar
The VBA’s Technical and Regulation team is accepting technical enquiries about these changes. You can submit queries via the form on the VBA’s NCC 2022 webpage.
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