NCC 2025 Across Australia: Which Code Applies Where, and What Changes for Facades
The National Construction Code 2025 was published on 1 May 2026, but Australia does not have a single start date. Each state and territory decides when to adopt it, and as of late September 2026 the picture is a patchwork.
For curtain wall, window, and door suppliers working across state lines, knowing which edition applies to a given project is now a basic part of specification.
Where each jurisdiction stands
Based on industry summaries current to late September 2026:
Victoria: Adopted NCC 2025 on 1 May 2026, with no general transition period. A building surveyor may allow the earlier edition where substantial design progress was made before adoption.
Western Australia: Adopted on 1 May 2026. Most permit applications can use the code in effect at lodgement or the one in effect 12 months earlier, so NCC 2022 can be used until 30 April 2027. NCC 2025 becomes mandatory for most applications from 1 May 2027.
Australian Capital Territory: NCC 2025 commenced on 1 May 2026 and becomes mandatory on 1 May 2027. Until then, approvals can use either edition, but the edition must be nominated and not mixed. Applications lodged before 1 November 2026 can use either edition until the application expires.
New South Wales: NCC 2025 applies from 1 May 2027, with no earlier transition. NCC 2022 continues until then.
Queensland: NCC 2025 applies from 1 May 2027. NCC 2022 continues until then.
South Australia: The NCC 2025 Plumbing Code was adopted on 1 May 2026. The Building Code applies from 1 May 2027, and NCC 2022 Amendment 2 remains in force until 30 April 2027.
Tasmania: NCC 2025 applied briefly from 1 May 2026, then NCC 2022 was reinstated when the Building Amendment Act 2026 took effect on 5 June 2026. NCC 2025 is scheduled from 1 May 2027.
Northern Territory: Not adopted. NCC 2022 and existing NT variations continue, with no adoption date set.
State positions have shifted since the code's release, and transitional arrangements vary, so the Australian Building Codes Board's adoption information and the relevant state authority remain the authoritative sources.
What changes for facades and glazing
NCC 2025's headline updates include stronger water management provisions for commercial and apartment buildings, revised condensation requirements, and changes to commercial energy efficiency. One industry summary of the facade-relevant changes points to the following:
Energy efficiency (Section J): Minimum wall R-values rise, glazing U-values fall, and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) limits tighten for north- and west-facing facades. Glazed area ratios are reduced.
Condensation (Part F8): In climate zones 6 to 8, external walls need a continuous drained and ventilated cavity of at least 12 mm. Where insulation sits in the framing, the external membrane must be Class 4 vapor-permeable. Direct-fix cladding generally will not meet the deemed-to-satisfy pathway in these zones, and the provisions now extend to Class 3 and Class 9c buildings.
Water management: Weatherproofing clauses moved from Part F3 to F1P1 and F1V1, and the 2.5 kPa limit on the verification method was removed.
Fire: Non-combustible requirements for external walls are unchanged, and AS 1530.1 remains the test standard.
These points come from a single industry summary and should be confirmed against the NCC text, particularly Section J and Part F8, for any specific project.
What this means for buyers and specifiers
Confirm the edition at the start of each project. Ask the certifier in writing which NCC edition applies, particularly in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and the ACT, where transition rules differ.
Do not mix editions on one project. In the ACT in particular, a project must nominate one edition and apply it throughout.
Keep specifications by jurisdiction. A glazing package that works for a Victorian project under NCC 2025 may need different performance values for a New South Wales project still under NCC 2022.
Ask suppliers for whole-assembly performance data. With U-values and SHGC limits tightening, glass-only figures are less useful than rated data for the full window or curtain wall system.
Plan for the May 2027 convergence. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and Western Australia are all scheduled to reach NCC 2025 by 1 May 2027 (the Northern Territory has set no date), so products specified now for long-lead projects should be checked against both editions.
Frequently asked questions
Can a project in New South Wales or Queensland use NCC 2025 early?
Both states have set 1 May 2027 as the start date. Whether early application is available depends on the state's arrangements and the certifier, so it should be confirmed in writing for the specific project.
Does NCC 2025 change the fire requirements for external walls?
According to the industry summary reviewed, non-combustible requirements for external walls are unchanged, and AS 1530.1 remains the test standard.
Where can the official adoption dates be checked?
The Australian Building Codes Board publishes state and territory adoption information for NCC 2025, and each state's building authority issues its own transitional arrangements.
NCC 2025 is arriving in stages rather than all at once, and the stages are still moving. For buyers, the practical takeaway is to treat the applicable code edition as a project-level question to settle early, not an assumption carried over from the last job.
FOWALL will continue tracking regulatory developments across Australian and New Zealand markets and reporting on what they mean for buyers evaluating curtain wall, window, and door suppliers.
