Industry leaders and Standards Australia met at Parliament House to advocate for free access to Australian Standards, aiming to ease the cost and compliance burden on small businesses across the construction sector.
HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin said the current cost of accessing Standards adds to the growing regulatory pressures faced by builders and tradies, who are already managing rising operational costs and increasing layers of regulation.
Removing the paywall would be a major step in reducing red tape and improving housing affordability. It would also align with government efforts to boost industry productivity and streamline regulation.
Ms Martin highlighted the success of a similar move in 2015, when the Building Ministers’ Forum made the National Construction Code (NCC) freely available online. The change led to a surge in access, from 12,000 users to over 400,000, particularly among small businesses.
A joint commitment by all levels of government to fund free access to building, plumbing and electrical Standards would help drive greater understanding and adoption across the industry.
With digital innovation and AI shaping the future of regulation, open access to Standards would support smarter, more integrated systems and a more efficient regulatory environment for 2025 and beyond.
