The Tasmanian Liberal Government is working hard to make Tasmania the best place to live, work and raise a family as part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future.
Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs, Michael Ferguson, said changes to the National Construction Code come into effect in Tasmania today, delivering accessibility improvements for residential dwellings, while providing certainty to the building industry.
"We believe these changes get the balance right in meeting the needs of elderly people and people living with disability, as well as ensuring building your own home remains cost effective," Minister Ferguson said.
Changes that come into effect from today include requirements for new residential buildings to have:
These changes do not apply to small or irregular allotments, worker accommodation and buildings smaller than 60m2 that are constructed off-site.
The new National Construction Code standards were agreed nationally at the Building Ministers' Meeting in 2022 .
The Tasmanian Government recognises the challenges faced by the construction and building sectors and will take a staged approach to implementing the changes, Minister Ferguson added.
"A requirement for widened internal doors and corridors and toilets to have circulation won't come into effect until October 2025," he said.
"A further requirement for homes to have a step-free, level entry will come into effect in 2026.
"The Government acknowledges the need to ensure the building sector is educated and equipped with the knowledge to ensure cost effective accessibility for our homes and we will continue to work with the sector to ensure these changes can be implemented as easily as possible.
"We are committed to doing what we can as a Government to support the sector, and ensure building your own home remains a cost-effective option."
