The National Construction Code (NCC) is a uniform set of technical provisions for the design, construction and performance of buildings and plumbing and drainage systems throughout Australia. It is published and maintained by the Australian Building Codes Board, on behalf of and in collaboration with the Australian Government and each State and Territory Government.
The NCC is made up of the:
- Building Code of Australia (BCA), being Volumes One and Two (given effect through the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979)
- Plumbing Code of Australia, being Volume Three (given effect through the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2011).
Copies of the NCC can be downloaded for free from the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) website. https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/
The current edition of the Code is NCC 2019. It came in effect on 1 May 2019.
Applications for a Construction Certificate or Complying Development Certificate that are lodged with the certifying authority on or after 1 May 2019 must be assessed against NCC 2019.
The NCC is a performance-based code that sets the minimum requirements in relation structure, fire safety, access and egress, accessibility, health and amenity, and sustainability.
All new buildings, new building work, and new plumbing and drainage systems must comply with the NCC.
Compliance with the NCC is achieved by meeting the relevant Performance Requirements.
This can be done by:
- complying with the prescriptive Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions,
- the development of a Performance Solution or
- a combination of both.