Freezing the NCC, Strike Teams and AI: What Australia's New Housing Reforms Mean for the Development Industry

In Australia, getting approval to build often takes longer than the build itself. For development businesses, this is more than an inconvenience; it’s a structural flaw that adds unnecessary costs and project delays.

The Government has recently announced new measures to cut the red tape and speed up the housing pipeline, including a pause on further National Construction Code (NCC) changes until 2029, a new “strike team”, and piloting artificial intelligence to streamline environmental assessments.

These are welcome steps. But while government action is promising, change is not instantaneous, and there are still ways businesses can take proactive measures to avoid getting stuck in the bottleneck.

What the Government Is Doing to Cut Red Tape

The housing reforms announced in August 2025 are focused on reducing the time and complexity it takes to move projects from application to approval. Key measures include:

• Pausing new NCC changes until mid-2029, following the release of the NCC 2025.
• Establishing a new “strike team” within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water to fast-track more than 26,000 homes currently awaiting approval under the EPBC Act.
• Piloting AI-driven assessments to simplify and speed up approval processes.

The message is clear: approvals are too slow, and change is needed. However, while these reforms will eventually ease some of the pressure, businesses can’t afford to wait years for the system to catch up.

The Challenges Businesses Are Facing

1. Endless Paperwork

Builders and architects are buried in hundreds of pages of planning reports. Even minor errors trigger costly resubmissions. Planning software reduces documentation headaches by automating reports and ensuring compliance before submission.

2. Compliance Confusion

The NCC and planning rules are complex and constantly shifting. For businesses focused on delivery, staying across every update isn’t realistic. The pause on new NCC changes until 2029 provides stability, but projects must still meet NCC 2022 and NCC 2025 standards.

3. Slow Response Times

Even with complete documents, approvals can drag on for months. The new government strike team is designed to fast-track 26,000 homes that are awaiting approval under the EPBC, but projects with clear, error-free documentation are most likely to move faster.

4. Costly Delays

Every week of delay adds financial pressure, from carrying costs to lost opportunities. AI schemes will introduce businesses to modern solutions that help avoid errors and resubmissions. Planning software allows developers to offload the complicated paperwork to reliable software that handles the monotonous admin.

The Opportunities Businesses Could Seize

The government’s reforms are more than just policy tweaks; they represent a major shift in how housing approvals will be managed in the years ahead. For businesses, this creates both challenges and opportunities.

Stability through the NCC pause
By pausing further changes until 2029, the government has created breathing room for the industry. Builders and architects won’t be blindsided by constant regulatory updates, but they still need to make sure every report is watertight against current standards.

A smoother path with strike teams
The creation of a federal “strike team” to fast-track 26,000 homes is a direct response to industry frustration over slow approvals, but projects that benefit will be those with documentation that is clear, structured, and ready for review.

Unlocking innovation in construction
With an emphasis on modular and prefab housing, the government is encouraging more efficient building methods. These approaches require precision and coordination across multiple stakeholders.‍

Preparing for AI-driven approvals
The government is piloting artificial intelligence to simplify assessments, a long-awaited next step that the Planna team is especially excited about. This signals a future where digital compatibility will be essential. As a company that has spent years developing custom software with integrated town planning data, we’ve long recognised that AI-led approval systems are the future, and it’s encouraging to see the planning industry moving in the same direction.

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In short, government reforms are building the framework for faster, more transparent approvals. But the businesses that will truly benefit are those that embrace digital processes now — reducing their own risks today and preparing for a future where approvals are faster, smarter, and increasingly reliable.