The Building Ministers Forum (BMF) expects to settle a position on the inclusion of minimum accessibility standards in the National Construction Code early next year.
After a meeting, last Friday, state and federal ministers said a national shortage of accessible residential housing in Australia has implications for the 4.4 million Australians living with disability, older Australians and their carers and families.
A communique issued afterward said: “Ministers noted the Australian Building Codes Board has made significant progress towards examining this issue.
“This work will inform governments’ deliberations on whether to include minimum standards for accessibility in the National Construction Code. Ministers emphasised that they expect to consider both quantitative and qualitative analysis, including the lived experiences of people affected by inaccessible housing, in their deliberations.”
The communique said ministers also endorsed a final model code of conduct for building surveyors and an agreed minimum list of powers for jurisdictions to draw on to enforce compliance with building regulations.