INSIGHT · LICENSING & COMPLIANCE

Seven stars and Livable Housing:
the two lists of states do not match.

NCC 2022 asks for a 7 star thermal rating, a Whole-of-Home rating of 60 and Livable Housing Design, but each state chooses. The ABCB table and state instruments read on 2 November 2026 show Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT took the energy provisions, New South Wales uses BASIX, the Northern Territory stays at 5 stars and Tasmania has not adopted them. Livable Housing does not apply in New South Wales or Western Australia.

Terracotta tiled roofs and a roof window against a clear blue sky

Analysed 2 November 2026 · ABCB, NCC 2022 state and territory adoption dates (correct as at 22 September 2023) and NCC 2025 adoption information · NCC 2022 Volume Two, Parts H6 and H8, Specification 42 and state schedules · Queensland, Western Australian, Victorian, Tasmanian, Northern Territory and ACT legislation and notes · NSW Planning, BASIX papers · all read 2 November 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Three separate provisions, each adopted on its own: S42C2 of NCC 2022 Volume Two sets 7 stars, S42C3 sets a whole-of-home rating of not less than 60, and Part H8 sets Livable Housing Design. The ABCB states each jurisdiction decides.
  • Energy dates run from 15 January 2024 to 1 May 2025: The ACT 15 January 2024, Victoria and Queensland 1 May 2024, South Australia 1 October 2024, and Western Australia 1 May 2025. NSW moved to its own Enhanced BASIX from 1 October 2023.
  • Two jurisdictions keep lower or older energy rules: The Northern Territory's H6D2 sets 5 stars with no whole-of-home rating. In Tasmania the NCC schedule replaces Part H6 with BCA 2019 Amendment 1 Part 2.6.
  • Queensland changed its concessions in August 2026: Regulations notified on 14 August 2026 brought new versions of QDC 4.1 and QDC 4.5, with a 5 star minimum for small homes under 50 square metres, 6 stars for raised floor homes, and a narrow lot exemption extended to 30 September 2029.
  • We would record the edition and the date that fixes it: A system-design recommendation: each project carries its NCC edition and amendment, the state variation, the date that fixed them, and the energy route actually used.

01

The rules for a new house,
state by state.

The ABCB table is marked correct as at 22 September 2023, so later changes are taken from state instruments. A row reading not verified means the point could not be confirmed from a primary source on 2 November 2026, not that nothing applies.

State7 star thermalWhole-of-HomeLivable Housing DesignTransition or exemptionInstrument and version read
New South WalesNot the NCC rating. BASIX thermal standard from 1 October 2023, equivalent to an average of NatHERS 7 stars, except homes in climate zones 9, 10 and 11Not the NCC rating. BASIX energy standard from 1 October 2023; NSW Part H6 complements BASIXNot adopted: Part H8 does not apply to Class 1a buildings in NSWBASIX FAQ: single dwelling or dual occupancy contract signed before 1 October 2023 and application lodged before 30 June 2024 (period passed). A DA or complying development application lodged before 1 October 2023 was not caughtNCC 2022 Vol Two NSW schedule, H6 and H8; ABCB table; NSW Planning paper (updated 2026); BASIX FAQ (2023); all read 2 Nov 2026. Sustainable Buildings SEPP text: not verified (2 Nov 2026)
Victoria1 May 20241 May 20241 May 2024, with an exemption from H8P1(a) and H8D2(2) recorded on the building permit where one is grantedRegulation 10A, inserted by S.R. No. 102/2023, substituted 1 May 2024 for 1 October 2023 in the NCC notes, including Parts H6 and H8, and was revoked on 1 May 2024ABCB table; NCC 2022 Vol Two VIC H6D2; Building Regulations 2018, version 032 (27 October 2026), reg 10 and Schedule 4, and version 023 for reg 10A; read 2 Nov 2026
Queensland1 May 2024 through QDC 4.1, optional credit of up to 1 star; from 14 August 2026 minimum 5 stars for homes under 50 square metres, 6 stars for raised floor homes1 May 2024 through QDC 4.1QDC 4.5: published 19 September 2023, in Schedule 7 from 22 September 2023, Livable Housing provisions from 1 October 2023 per the 2023 and 2026 notes; new version effective 14 August 2026Narrow lots (frontage up to 12.5 metres, lots created before 1 October 2023): exemption now to 30 September 2029, per the 2026 notesSL 2023 No. 136 and notes; SL 2026 No. 115 notes; Building Regulation 2021, Schedule 7 as in force; read 2 Nov 2026. The QDC parts themselves: not verified (2 Nov 2026)
Western Australia1 May 2025. Reg 15C(5) deletes the separate heating and cooling load limits from S42C2(1) of the 2022 and 2025 editions1 May 2025: S42C3 is not modified by reg 15CNot adopted: reg 15C(11) deletes Part H8 of the 2022 and 2025 editions. Industry Bulletin 176 says compliance remains voluntary1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025: NCC 2022 whole, NCC 2022 with NCC 2019 energy provisions, or NCC 2019 whole (reg 31IA; Bulletin 156)Building Regulations 2012, version 04-ag0-00 (1 November 2026); Industry Bulletins 156 (September 2023) and 176 (May 2026); read 2 Nov 2026
South Australia1 October 20241 October 20241 October 2024not verified (2 Nov 2026)ABCB table; NCC 2022 Vol Two state schedule, no H6 or H8 variation seen; read 2 Nov 2026. Minister's Specification SA MBS 007: not verified (2 Nov 2026)
TasmaniaNot adopted: Part H6 is replaced with BCA 2019 Amendment 1 Part 2.6Not adopted1 October 2024. Reg 82A takes work meeting the Director's determination to comply with H8; the determination's staging: not verified (2 Nov 2026)not verified (2 Nov 2026)ABCB table; NCC 2022 Vol Two Tasmanian H6; Building Regulations 2016, reg 82A, as in force; read 2 Nov 2026
Australian Capital Territory15 January 202415 January 202415 January 2024Approvals determined on or after 15 January 2024 use Schedule 2; 1 May 2023 to 14 January 2024 used Schedule 1Building (ACT Appendix to the Building Code) Determination 2023 (No 3), DI2023-304; ACT NCC 2022 information paper; ABCB table; read 2 Nov 2026
Northern TerritoryNo: 5 stars from 1 October 2023, or NT Parts 13.2 to 13.5 (NT H6D2)No: NT H6D2(2) applies instead of S42C3. Energy rating of at least 5 stars, or NT Part 13.61 October 2023not verified (2 Nov 2026)ABCB table; NCC 2022 Vol Two NT H6; Building Regulations 1993, reg 4, as in force 30 March 2026; read 2 Nov 2026. Building Note 113: not verified (2 Nov 2026)

02

What the three provisions
actually say.

  • 7 stars: S42C2: S42C2(1) of NCC 2022 Volume Two requires an energy rating of at least 7 stars using house energy rating software, or in climate zones 1 and 2, 6.5 stars with a qualifying covered outdoor living area, or 6 stars with that area and a permanent ceiling fan. Parts 13.2 to 13.5 of the ABCB Housing Provisions are the alternative route in H6D2(1).
  • Whole-of-Home: S42C3 or H6D2: S42C3 reads: "A building must achieve a whole-of-home rating of not less than 60 using house energy rating software". The other route is Parts 13.6 and 13.7 of the ABCB Housing Provisions, open under H6D2(2) for a total floor area not greater than 500 square metres.
  • Livable Housing Design: Part H8: H8D2(1) reads: "A Class 1a dwelling must comply with the ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design". The ABCB says the provisions are based on the Livable Housing Design Guidelines silver standards. For Class 2 sole-occupancy units the matching rule is Part G7 of Volume One.
  • NCC 2025 keeps all three: NCC 2025 Volume Two still has S42C2 at 7 stars, S42C3 at 60 and performance requirement H8P1. Adopting NCC 2025 does not by itself change a state's choice on any of them: state variations can continue, as Western Australia's Bulletin 176 shows.

03

Does Livable Housing
apply to renovations?

Part H8 as read contains no rule for existing buildings. The answer sits in each state's law.

  • Australian Capital Territory: The information paper's Table 1 splits by type of work. From 15 January 2024, dwelling access does not apply to the renovations listed, and internal doors and corridors, toilet, shower and reinforced bathroom and toilet walls apply with conditions to extensions and altered structure, not to unaltered structure. The Building (General) Regulation 2008 sets a substantial alteration as a proposed alteration, not counting a Class 1 internal alteration, of more than 50% of the original floor area over 3 years.
  • Queensland: The 2023 explanatory notes describe permanent exemptions, in limited circumstances, for repairs and maintenance and for bathroom and toilet renovations in existing houses. QDC text: not verified (2 Nov 2026).
  • New South Wales and Western Australia: Part H8 does not apply to Class 1a buildings in either state. NSW still has BASIX for alterations and additions of $50,000 or more, a separate question from Livable Housing.
  • Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory: Treatment of existing dwellings: not verified (2 Nov 2026). Victoria's permit form records an exemption from H8P1(a) and H8D2(2), which shows the exemption path exists, not when it applies.

04

Where Queensland
moved in 2026.

The Building and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2026 (SL 2026 No. 115) was made on 13 August and notified on 14 August 2026. Schedule 7 of the Building Regulation 2021 now lists versions of QDC 4.1 and QDC 4.5 published 3 August 2026, effective 14 August 2026.

A design priced before 14 August 2026 may rest on the earlier version of QDC 4.1 or 4.5. The explanatory notes are the source for these points. The QDC parts themselves: not verified (2 Nov 2026).

  • Small homes: Under 50 square metres: a minimum of 5 stars, per the explanatory notes.
  • Raised floor homes: A minimum of 6 stars, per the explanatory notes.
  • Outdoor living credit: An optional credit of up to 1 star continues, as it did from 2024.
  • Narrow lots: An exemption for lots with a frontage up to 12.5 metres, created before 1 October 2023, is extended to 30 September 2029. It originally ran to 31 March 2025.

05

The next edition
moves the dates again.

The ABCB's NCC 2025 table, read 2 November 2026, gives these dates. Our page on NCC 2025 adoption dates by state covers each state's trigger in detail.

  • Already adopted: Victoria 1 May 2026; the ACT and Western Australia 1 May 2026 with a 12 month transition.
  • Adopting 1 May 2027: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia (BCA) and Tasmania. Tasmania's entry reads temporarily adopted 1 May to 4 June 2026, with a transition from 5 June 2026 to 1 May 2027.
  • Not adopted: Northern Territory, per the ABCB table.

What we would put in a system

Where agents help is narrow. A document agent can read a rating certificate and a BASIX certificate, extract the figures, propose the state, edition and date from project records, and flag a design that predates an instrument version. A person confirms each one. No agent decides which code applies or whether a design complies. That belongs to the assessor, the building surveyor or certifier and the designer.

FieldWhy it is load-bearing
NCC edition and amendmentNSW's current edition is NCC 2022 Amendment 2, in effect from 29 July 2025. The edition decides which clause numbers and which version of H6 are in play.
The date that fixes the editionIt differs by state: lodgement of the Complying Development Certificate application or most Construction Certificate applications in NSW, and determination of the approval in the ACT. Record the event and its date, not only the year.
Energy route usedS42C2 with S42C3, Parts 13.2 to 13.7, a BASIX certificate number and version, a QDC 4.1 concession, or a Tasmanian or Northern Territory route.
Rating evidenceThe rating certificate, its software and its star and Whole-of-Home results, kept with the drawings they were run on.
Livable Housing statusApplies, does not apply in the state, or exempted, with the clause and the record of the decision.
Instrument versionA code version changes without any change to the NCC edition: Queensland's did on 14 August 2026.

Questions worth asking
of your own project records

For a volume builder working across borders: does each house type record the state's energy route?

A plan that met S42C2 and S42C3 in Victoria sits under BASIX in NSW and under NT H6D2 in Darwin. The same drawings can carry three different pieces of evidence.

For a developer: which date fixes the edition on each stage?

A staged project can straddle an edition or a code version. If the record shows only a year, nobody can reconstruct which rules the stage was approved under.

For an energy assessor: does the certificate show the version of the rule it was run under?

Queensland's 5 star and 6 star concessions commenced on 14 August 2026. A rating file that does not record the instrument version leaves that question to whoever opens it later.

For a builder: where is the Livable Housing decision recorded?

Whether Part H8 applies, is exempted or is deleted by the state is a recorded decision. Ask your certifier or building surveyor which it is. General information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask about
7 star ratings and Livable Housing

What are the 7 star energy rating requirements in NSW?

NSW does not use the NCC 7 star provision. Since 1 October 2023 the BASIX thermal standard under the Sustainable Buildings SEPP has been equivalent to an average of NatHERS 7 stars, except homes in climate zones 9, 10 and 11 in north-eastern NSW, per NSW Planning's paper read 2 November 2026. NSW Part H6 complements BASIX, and the BASIX certificate version decides which part applies.

Is a 7 star energy rating required in Queensland?

Queensland applied the 7 star and whole-of-home standards through QDC 4.1 from 1 May 2024. Since 14 August 2026, per the explanatory notes to SL 2026 No. 115, small homes under 50 square metres have a 5 star minimum, raised floor homes a 6 star minimum, and an optional credit of up to 1 star continues.

When did 7 star energy ratings start in Victoria, South Australia and WA?

The ABCB table gives Victoria 1 May 2024 and South Australia 1 October 2024. In Western Australia, NCC 2022 energy provisions became mandatory on 1 May 2025 after a transition from 1 May 2024, per Industry Bulletin 156 and the Building Regulations 2012. WA's reg 15C(5) removes the separate heating and cooling load limits.

Does Livable Housing Design apply to renovations?

NCC 2022 Part H8 as read on 2 November 2026 has no rule for existing buildings, so state law decides. The ACT's NCC 2022 information paper sets out which elements apply to which alterations from 15 January 2024. Queensland's 2023 explanatory notes describe exemptions for some repairs and bathroom renovations. Part H8 does not apply to Class 1a buildings in NSW or WA.

What is the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard 2022?

It is the standard Part H8 of NCC 2022 Volume Two calls up: "A Class 1a dwelling must comply with the ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design". The ABCB says the provisions are based on the silver standards of the Livable Housing Design Guidelines. Each state decides whether it applies: not in NSW or WA, as read on 2 November 2026.

What this analysis
does and does not show.

Evidence note

What it shows
For each of the eight jurisdictions, the position on the NCC 2022 7 star rating, Whole-of-Home rating and Livable Housing Design for Class 1a dwellings, and the transitions found, from the ABCB tables, NCC 2022 schedules and state instruments read on 2 November 2026.
Key facts quoted
S42C2 at 7 stars and S42C3 at 60; Victoria and Queensland 1 May 2024; South Australia 1 October 2024; Western Australia 1 May 2025; ACT 15 January 2024; NSW BASIX from 1 October 2023; NT 5 stars; Tasmania BCA 2019 Amendment 1; no Part H8 in NSW or WA.
  • The ABCB NCC 2022 table says it is correct as at 22 September 2023, so later changes depend on the state instruments that opened.
  • Pages of the Victorian Building Authority, the Building and Plumbing Commission, PlanSA, the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport, Tasmania's CBOS, NT government sites and Queensland Housing did not open on 2 November 2026. Rows relying on them are marked not verified (2 Nov 2026) and rest on the ABCB table or the legislation.
  • The NSW legislation site did not open. NSW rows rest on the NCC schedule and NSW Government papers. The Sustainable Buildings SEPP text itself was not read.
  • Queensland's concessions come from explanatory notes, not the QDC parts.
  • Apartments, Class 2 units, condensation and commercial provisions are not covered. The ACT's and Queensland's renovation rules are summarised, not reproduced.
  • General information about published rules. It is not legal, building surveying or energy assessment advice for any project.

What to watch next

  • 1 May 2027: NCC 2025 starts in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia (BCA) and Tasmania, per the ABCB table.
  • 1 May 2027 in the ACT and Western Australia: The ABCB table lists 12 month transitions from 1 May 2026 for both. ACT Planning says NCC 2025 is mandatory from 1 May 2027, except that a development or works approval application formally lodged before 1 November 2026 may seek building approval under either edition until the application expires.
  • 30 September 2029: Queensland's narrow lot exemption ends, per the explanatory notes to SL 2026 No. 115.

Bring us one house type
and its energy file.

Send us one plan with its rating certificate and the state it is built in. We will show which edition, instrument and date the file rests on, what is missing, and which fields would carry it from project to project.

General information about state building rules, as read on 2 November 2026. Not legal, certification or energy assessment advice, and it does not describe any project. Confirm the position with your building surveyor or certifier.

Send us the file · Compliance

Sources

Suggested citation: Cyberate research team, Seven stars and Livable Housing by state, analysed 2 November 2026, from the ABCB adoption tables, NCC 2022 Volume Two and the state instruments listed. Derived figures: none; every date is as published by the source named.

RELATED READING

Other readings on the same records.