In a scathing rebuke, the Labor party has lambasted the opposition Coalition’s plan to freeze national building standards for a decade, warning it could condemn Australians to live in “shoddy,” unsafe homes vulnerable to climate change impacts and even catastrophic infernos akin to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Coalition’s $5B Housing Plan Comes Under Fire
While Peter Dutton’s proposed $5 billion housing affordability plan, which includes grants and loans to develop new housing sites, initially garnered support from some industry groups, the 10-year building codes freeze that accompanies it has raised eyebrows and drawn sharp criticism.
The Coalition argues that updates to the codes, such as mandating higher energy efficiency standards, have added thousands to the cost of new homes. However, housing experts and political opponents contend the freeze could have grave consequences.
Cheap, Unsafe Homes a “Costly Mistake”
Industry Minister Ed Husic pulled no punches, accusing the opposition of setting the stage for an Australian “Grenfell Tower inferno” by allowing the construction of what he termed “costly ‘hot boxes'” unable to withstand increasingly severe floods, fires and weather events in a changing climate.
The construction code is there to protect Aussies from the horrendous consequences of shoddy construction, like we saw with the Grenfell Tower inferno.
– Ed Husic, Industry Minister
Husic argued that while more energy-efficient homes may come with higher upfront costs, they deliver substantial savings on power bills year after year while providing greater comfort and resilience to extreme heat. Freezing standards, he cautioned, is dangerously shortsighted.
Inflated Cost Claims Challenged
The Coalition claimed recent building code changes have added a whopping $60,000 to the price of a typical home – an estimate promptly challenged by the construction industry itself. A report from the Australian Glass and Windows Association pegged the average national cost increase at a far more modest $4,492, closely mirroring figures from the Australian Building Codes Board.
Eroding Climate Defenses
As climate change amplifies the frequency and severity of natural disasters, building experts stress that relaxing or delaying code improvements steadily erodes Australia’s climate readiness. Australian Building Codes Board CEO Gary Rake emphasized the importance of climate-resilient construction.
I actually work alongside new graduates in my organisation who expect to be alive in the year 2100. We’ve got to think about future generations.
– Gary Rake, Australian Building Codes Board CEO
With much of Australia’s existing housing stock ill-equipped to handle temperature extremes, maintaining robust, up-to-date building standards is seen as crucial to ensuring homes remain safe and livable in a rapidly changing climate.
Balancing Affordability and Quality
As Australia grapples with a housing affordability crisis, policymakers must thread the needle between expanding access to homeownership and upholding construction quality and safety. While industry groups cautiously praised the Coalition’s funding commitment, most stopped short of endorsing the codes freeze.
- The Master Builders Association expressed support for “a pause on unnecessary code changes” but did not explicitly back the 10-year timeline.
- The Property Council reiterated its longstanding support for regular code reviews and interstate consistency.
- The Planning Institute of Australia warned that a lengthy codes freeze “would be a shame, given the serious impacts of our changing climate.”
As election season heats up, the building codes freeze and its implications for housing affordability, safety and sustainability are poised to remain a pivotal point of debate. Australians must weigh the urgent need for more affordable homes against the long-term value of dwellings built to withstand the challenges of a changing climate.
Only by striking a careful balance between these competing priorities can policymakers ensure all Australians have access to housing that is not only within financial reach but also resilient, healthy and built to last.
