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1. What was proposedDeborah MorrisLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (310 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) on 5 February 2026, the Assembly noted that the ACT is in a housing crisis; (b) the ACT is more than 1,200 completions behind the trend required to meet the 30,000 by 2030 target; (c) construction costs, skills shortages, slow planning approvals and complicated regulations are already making new homes harder to build and more expensive to deliver; (d) the National Construction Code (NCC) has become increasingly complex, with industry professionals and the Productivity Commission warning that growing regulatory burden has added to cost, reduced productivity and made the Code harder to practically comply with; (e) the Federal Government’s own regulatory assessments found that the costs of NCC 2022 outweighed its benefits, resulting in a net cost to society; (f) Master Builders ACT has warned the NCC 2025 changes could add even more costs for new builds ranging from $14,000 to $55,000 and create additional burdens for prospective homeowners; (g) the Government has already delayed adoption of the NCC 2025 changes by 12 months, recognising the need for industry certainty and the cost pressures already facing the residential construction sector; and (h) current global economic conditions, including supply chain disruption, energy cost pressures, material price volatility and broader inflationary pressures are already adding cost and uncertainty to new home builds; (2) further notes that: (a) changes that add cost, complexity and delay to new homes must be properly assessed in the context of the housing crisis and current global cost pressures; and (b) Canberrans cannot afford any further barriers or increase to costs in building the homes the city needs; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) freeze the adoption of any NCC 2025 changes that would increase the cost or complexity of delivering new homes in the ACT; and (b) publish a cost-benefit analysis before adopting any further NCC changes. Debate ensued.

2. What the Assembly decidedNot agreed

   Recorded vote on the final question

   Ayes 8

   • Chiaka Barry, Peter Cain, Leanne Castley, Ed Cocks, Jeremy Hanson, James Milligan, Deborah Morris, Mark Parton

   Noes 15

   • Yvette Berry, Marisa Paterson, Michael Pettersson, Tara Cheyne, Chris Steel, Rachel Stephen-Smith, Caitlin Tough, Taimus Werner-Gibbings, Suzanne Orr
   • Andrew Braddock, Shane Rattenbury, Jo Clay, Laura Nuttall
   • Fiona Carrick, Thomas Emerson