Every Australian deserves a home they can easily access, built to last a lifetime.

Housing is a fundamental human need, and greatly influences people’s quality of life. Housing with livable and accessible design is crucial for meeting the needs of all Australians with mobility impairments, including people with disability and older people. 

The 2022 National Construction Code now includes the mandatory Livable Housing Design Silver Standard.

Australian and state and territory governments need to play a major role in ensuring people can live in accessible housing through supporting and monitoring the implementation of the National Construction Code. To date, all states and territories have signed up to the silver standard, except New South Wales and Western Australia.

Both the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (DRC) and the NDIS Independent Review recommended states and territories immediately adopt the mandatory standards for all new dwellings.

It is time for NSW and WA to get on board and sign up to the livable and accessible housing standard.