All-important energy efficiency standards can’t be sacrificed in the fight to ease pressure on Victoria’s beleaguered building industry, lobbyists warn.
The state government is consulting with the sector amid calls for urgent reforms following the financial collapse of one of the nation’s largest home builders, Porter Davis.
Leading the charge, the Housing Industry Association is urging the deferral of major changes stipulating how Victorian homes will be constructed under the National Construction Code.
The code lifts minimum energy-efficiency standards for new builds from six to seven-star ratings and creates design requirements for accessibility.
If they were pushed back at least a year, as has happened in other states, builders and customers would have more time to adjust, the housing association’s Keith Ryan said….