What Two Years of NCC 2022 Has Shown Us
When NCC 2022 was introduced, it aimed to improve building performance, compliance clarity and consistency across the industry.
Like most regulatory updates, its real impact has only become clear through practical application.
Two years on, a few consistent themes have emerged.
Compliance pathways have become more detailed. Documentation expectations have increased. And the level of evidence required to support compliance has continued to grow.
From a building surveying perspective, there is now a stronger focus on how compliance is demonstrated before the permit issued, not just assumed that it will be done correctly on site.
These are positive shifts.
But they have also introduced new challenges in how projects are prepared and submitted.
Where Friction Has Emerged in Practice
Over the past two years, the areas where friction shows up have become clearer.
It is rarely the intent of the code itself.
It is how that intent is interpreted, applied and documented across different projects.
We continue to see:
• Gaps in documentation at submission stage
• Increased RFIs linked to evidence of suitability
• Uncertainty around how provisions are applied in practice
• Greater scrutiny on supporting documentation
As expectations increase, so does the impact of getting it wrong or leaving something unclear.
What the NCC 2025 Updates Are Responding To
The adoption of NCC 2025 in Victoria, along with updated Victorian variations, reflects an effort to refine and simplify how the code is applied.
One of the more notable changes is the reduction in Victorian variations, improving clarity around what applies.
There are also updates to:
• Evidence of suitability and acceptable documentation
• Performance solutions and how they are assessed
• Certification pathways
• Technical areas such as bushfire requirements and plumbing standards
These updates are not a reset.
They are a response to what the industry has experienced over the past two years.
What This Means for Practitioners
For designers, builders and consultants, the direction is clear.
Compliance is becoming more structured. Documentation is becoming more important. And clarity at submission matters more than ever.
What is increasingly required is:
• Clear alignment with relevant provisions
• Well-documented compliance pathways
• Confidence that submissions will stand up to review
This is where the biggest opportunity sits.
Not in reacting to issues after submission, but in identifying and resolving them earlier.
A Practical Opportunity Moving Forward
At Deemed to Perform, the past two years have reinforced a consistent pattern.
Most RFIs, delays and revisions can be traced back to issues that were:
• Not identified early enough
• Not clearly documented
• Or not fully resolved before submission
The NCC 2025 updates do not change that.
They reinforce it.
As the regulatory environment evolves, the focus is shifting toward better preparation, clearer documentation and more consistent application of the code.
That presents a clear opportunity to improve outcomes across the permit process.
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