Queensland NCC 2025 Delay: Check the August Energy Changes

Queensland has delayed NCC 2025 commencement until 1 May 2027, but that does not mean its granny flat energy rules have stood still. Updated 3 October 2026. This article corrects the earlier suggestion that every new compact dwelling must follow an unchanged seven-star NatHERS route until that date.

The delay appears in Building and Plumbing Newsflash 637, dated 19 March 2026. It concerns Queensland’s commencement of the next NCC edition, not a nationwide pause on every building requirement.

August changes need a separate check

Newsflash 640, dated 17 August, records amendments to Queensland’s Modern Homes provisions that commenced on 14 August 2026. It describes additional energy-compliance options, including a five-star building-shell minimum for homes below 50m² and a six-star minimum for raised-floor construction. The notice says the whole-of-home energy score remains unchanged.

Have your certifier identify the applicable provisions and conditions for the proposed dwelling. A brief summary cannot establish whether a particular plan qualifies. Keep the relevant assessment assumptions with the quote so a later floor-area or construction change can be checked.

The housing-code transition is another timetable

The same August notice describes the Queensland Housing Code transition from 1 September 2026 to 1 September 2029. During that period, application depends on the relevant planning scheme’s adoption arrangements.

That is a different question from the NCC 2025 commencement date. Ask which siting rules apply in the local government area and which building-energy provisions apply to the design. Don’t combine several dates into a single claim that a kit is “2026 compliant”.

What to put in the design brief

Ask the building practitioner to record the code edition, jurisdictional provisions, compliance pathway and drawing revision. Ask the assessor which inputs must remain fixed and which substitutions require review. The builder’s quote should identify the specified windows, insulation and relevant equipment rather than leave compliance as an unexplained allowance.

If you already have an assessment, get advice on its continuing suitability for the project. Don’t discard it solely because a headline mentions a delay; equally, don’t assume an old document resolves a changed design. Keep the advice with your approval records.

Our energy assessment guide explains thermal and whole-of-home checks. Use the Queensland planning guide for separate property questions, and the news hub for dated updates. Electricity billing remains a separate issue covered in the meter guide.

Ask the assessor to record the applicable edition, Queensland variation and transition provision on the project file. If the design or application date changes, have that basis checked again before ordering windows or committing to the energy specification.

By The Granny Flat Guide Team. Last updated October 2026. About our research · Project budget calculator