The ACT is leading the charge for national energy efficiency standards by encouraging requirements for new homes built across Australia to increase from a six to a seven-star energy rating.

The proposed updates to the National Construction Code (NCC) will be considered at the upcoming Building Ministers Meeting on Friday 26 August.

ACT Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction, Rebecca Vassarotti, says she supports the proposed changes and will call for the seven-star energy rating to be the “bare minimum”.

Ms Vassarotti believes all Australians deserve a comfortable and energy efficient home but due to poor energy efficiency in many buildings, people are forced to live in a property that are too expensive to heat and cool.

“Rental properties that are not energy efficient lead to higher energy bills and sometimes dangerously cold or hot houses for the people who call them home,” Ms Vassarotti says.

“It is often the case that those with the least capacity to pay have no choice but to live in properties that are the most expensive to heat and cool.

“While the ACT is moving forward to implementing minimum standard[s] for ceiling insulation for rental properties, our national standards have not been changed in more than a decade and they are falling further and further behind international and best-practice standards.”

By significantly lowering household energy bills with raised energy efficiency requirements, Ms Vassarotti says Australia’s emissions will be cut and social inequity faced by renters will be reduced.

“Raising it to a minimum seven-star rating is not a particularly ambitious change – research shows that at seven stars, we’ll still be behind the codes of other comparable climates and jurisdictions,” she says.

“Now is the time for us to be ambitious and to future-proof new homes from a warming climate. The ACT, through its 10-year pathway to world’s best practice, intends to do more.”

“While the ACT is moving forward to implementing minimum standard[s] for ceiling insulation for rental properties, our national standards have not been changed in more than a decade and they are falling further and further behind international and best-practice standards.”

Master Builders ACT (MBA) have welcomed the proposed changes, but MBA CEO Michael Hopkins has emphasised the need for a transitional period that is well planned.

“The local building and construction industry is already taking steps to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing homes,” Mr Hopkins says.

“Master Builders ACT has proposed arrangements to ensure the requirements for the industry are attainable, including a proposed three-year NCC 2022 transition period and recognising Development Approvals which are granted before the commencement date.”

He says it’s essential to provide sufficient time for the industry to be able to adapt to the changes to allow education to be developed and delivered to the sector and regulators.

“Importantly, consistency between the ACT and NSW jurisdictions should be a key consideration, as the majority of ACT based builders, subcontractors, suppliers, designers and architects work across the ACT/NSW boundary,” he says.

Acting ACT Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia (PCA) Adele Lausberg says Australia’s energy standards for new homes have been neglected for more than a decade and the National Construction Code has sat idle.

She says it’s time for Australia to “catch up with the rest of the world” after falling behind international standards.

“Increasing the minimum energy efficiency ratings in new homes will slash the energy bills of Canberrans, ease long-term cost of living pressures and support the territory’s net-zero ambitions,” Ms Lausberg says.

“Our political leaders have an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to reducing emissions and cost of living pressures by implementing these amendments.”

Executive Director of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council Alison Scotland explained the step up from six to seven stars “cannot” be delayed and is an integral part of stronger energy performance.

Director of Better Renting Joel Dignam says the proposed changes will significantly help renters across the country.

“Lots of new properties are built and bought by investors and inhabited by people renting, so making sure new properties are at a better standard is going to help the owner occupier who buys them but also renters who end up living in them,” Mr Dignam says.

“Another thing is it’s been hard for renters to get existing properties improved to a better standard. A 6-star rating hasn’t been good enough, particularly people in summer experience a lot of difficulties, so we need to raise that standard.”

Canberra Daily has contacted the Shadow Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction Mark Parton for comment.

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