The Queensland government has announced a new state Housing Code alongside a series of practical updates to the state’s Modern Homes Standards, in a move aimed at streamlining home building rules and improving housing affordability across the state.
The announcement introduces two major regulatory changes.
The first is the Queensland Housing Code, a statewide framework designed to standardise housing design and siting requirements that have previously varied significantly between local government areas.
The second is a package of amendments to the Modern Homes Standards, which govern accessibility, energy efficiency and construction requirements for new homes.
Under the updated Modern Homes Standards, the government has revised energy-efficiency requirements for raised-floor homes and for homes under 50 square metres, recognising that these dwelling types face different practical constraints than standard housing.
A new “ramp-ready” option has also been introduced for elevated homes, giving builders more flexibility in how they meet accessibility requirements without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.
The reforms also allow greater flexibility in accessible bathroom design, and introduce practical solutions for weatherproofing and termite-management requirements, both of which have been sources of compliance difficulty for builders working across Queensland’s varied climate zones.
The Queensland Housing Code is intended to resolve what has been described as a longstanding patchwork of differing council requirements, which has added complexity, delays and cost to the construction process.
By establishing a consistent set of design and siting rules that apply across local government areas, the government aims to give builders, designers and homeowners greater certainty when planning new housing projects.
The reforms follow recommendations made by the Queensland Productivity Commission and take into account extensive consultation with industry participants over recent years, as the state government looks to address ongoing pressure on housing supply and affordability.
The changes have been welcomed by the residential construction sector.
Housing Industry Association Executive Director Queensland, Michael Roberts, said the reforms addressed many of the practical concerns industry had raised over the cost and complexity of recent building regulation changes.
“These reforms demonstrate that it is possible to maintain important standards while also recognising the practical realities of home building,” said Roberts.
Roberts said the introduction of a single, statewide code would remove much of the inconsistency builders have had to navigate when working across different council areas.
“A contemporary Queensland Housing Code will provide greater consistency, certainty and efficiency for builders, designers and homeowners across the state,” he said.
The Modern Homes Standards updates and the new Housing Code form part of the government’s broader efforts to boost housing supply in Queensland, as the state continues to grapple with population growth and rising demand for new dwellings.
Industry groups have long argued that fragmented and overly complex regulation has slowed housing delivery and added unnecessary costs to construction.
While the government has flagged that further work remains ongoing to refine the regulatory framework, the announcement represents a significant shift toward a more unified and streamlined approach to home building rules in Queensland.
Builders, designers and homeowners are expected to benefit from clearer, more consistent requirements as the changes take effect, with the reforms positioned as a practical step toward supporting the state’s housing supply targets in the years ahead.