Resources

Resources

A library of authoritative Australian government, regulator, research and reinsurer publications on building quality, defects and long-term insurance protection, updated regularly.

Every step, covered.

Australian apartment building nearing completion

October 2026

Originally published Assented 2024; licensing provisions commence 1 October 2026

Property Developers Act 2024 (ACT) — Developer Licensing from 1 October 2026

ACT Government (ACT Legislation Register)

The ACT's developer licensing scheme requires property developers of residential building work to hold a licence, imposes eligibility and suitability requirements, and gives the registrar powers over licence conditions, statutory rectification obligations and developer accountability for defective work.

Completed contemporary medium-density housing

September 2026

Originally published 22 June 2025

Building Commission NSW here to stay with $145 million funding

NSW Government (Minister for Building)

The 2025–26 NSW Budget commits $145.1 million in recurrent funding to Building Commission NSW, reporting 1,015 building sites inspected for defects and 455 rectification orders issued so far that financial year.

Editorial note: Originally published in June 2025; featured as a foundational reference for this library.

Engineer reviewing building drawings

August 2026

Originally published Last updated 28 August 2026

Ten-Year Defect Insurance for Apartment Buildings

NSW Government / Building Commission NSW

Following assent of the Fair Trading and Building Amendment Act 2026 on 14 August 2026, this NSW Government page explains the clarified scope of decennial liability insurance (DLI), covering non-compliance related defects to structure, fire safety and waterproofing for ten years.

Rainwater management detail on a modern apartment façade

July 2026

Originally published 20 January 2026

Inherent Defects Insurance (IDI) Guide

Swiss Re

Swiss Re's IDI guide sets out the fundamental principles of inherent defects insurance coverage and how its Engineering reinsurance team supports insurers seeking to open or expand IDI markets.

Editorial note: Originally published in January 2026; featured here six months after the preceding Swiss Re resource.

Modern apartment lobby and common property

June 2026

Originally published June 2026

Overcoming Construction Constraints for the Supply of New Detached and High-Rise Housing

Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), Final Report No. 461

An 18-month AHURI Inquiry involving 19 researchers from seven universities finds market volatility and industry fragmentation are the most significant constraints on Australian housing construction output and quality.

Apartment rooftop drainage and waterproofing junction

May 2026

Originally published 1 May 2026

NCC 2025 Released

Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)

The ABCB released NCC 2025, strengthening water management and condensation mitigation provisions, updating carpark fire safety, and introducing new commercial energy efficiency requirements, with jurisdictional adoption from 1 May 2026.

Building envelope detail being measured

April 2026

Originally published 30 April 2026

National Construction Code Modernisation Project — Interim Report

The Treasury (Commonwealth Government)

Treasury's interim report on modernising the National Construction Code examines options to streamline, digitise and reduce regulatory burden in the Code's development and application, following the 2025 Building Ministers' agreement.

Reinforced concrete slab edge before pouring

March 2026

Originally published 24 March 2026

Mind the Gap: An Insurance Climate Vulnerability Assessment

Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)

APRA's prudential stress test finds Australia's home insurance protection gap could widen sharply under climate stress, from roughly one in seven uninsured houses today to as many as one in four by 2050.

Contemporary Australian urban housing precinct

February 2026

Originally published Updated 10 July 2026

About Cladding Safety Victoria

Victorian Government (vic.gov.au)

The Victorian Government's program page confirms Cladding Safety Victoria's $600 million rectification program is on track to conclude around June 2026, after assessing thousands of buildings and improving safety for more than 80,000 apartments.

Fire safety services in a building plant room

January 2026

Originally published 13 January 2026

Inherent Defects Insurance (IDI)

Swiss Re

Swiss Re's core IDI solution page and linked Taiwan developer case study set out how inherent defects insurance strengthens societal resilience, unlocks private capital and supports climate-resilient, higher-quality housing globally.

Non-combustible façade panels and window junctions

December 2025

Originally published 7 December 2025

From Complaints to Completion: Lessons from Queensland's Most Reported Building Defects

Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)

Drawing on QBCC's 2025 Industry Snapshot, this analysis ranks the ten most common reported defects — from internal paint to shower waterproofing — noting an average $25,000 claim under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme for defective waterproofing.

Concrete structural frame under construction

November 2025

Originally published 10 November 2025

Hunter and Mid North Coast Compliance Inspection Report, August 2025

Building Commission NSW (NSW Government)

A regional compliance report on 41 building sites finds non-compliant masonry, switchboard and residual current device defects, and unlicensed trade supervision, resulting in 22 penalty notices and 13 draft rectification orders.

Landscaped entrance to a completed apartment building

October 2025

Originally published 22 October 2025

Building Ministers' Meeting: Communiqué, October 2025

The Treasury (Commonwealth, State and Territory Building Ministers)

Commonwealth, state and territory Building Ministers agreed to pause further residential changes to the National Construction Code until mid-2029 (after NCC 2025) and to streamline the Code's development and use.

Building plans and technical documents

September 2025

Originally published 12 September 2025

Cladding Safety Victoria Annual Report 2024–25

Cladding Safety Victoria (State of Victoria)

CSV's statutory annual report records that 81% of its combustible cladding rectification program is complete, with works finished on 409 higher-risk residential buildings including a 68-storey Melbourne CBD tower.

Waterproofing membrane and drainage detail

August 2025

Originally published 2025 (H1 2025 reporting period)

QBCC Regulatory Report — January to June 2025

Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)

QBCC's half-yearly regulatory report sets out proactive site inspection activity, non-conforming building product audits, defective work complaint outcomes and licensing trends across Queensland's building sector.

Completed multi-residential building

July 2025

Originally published 9 July 2025

From Legislation to Reality: Enabling the Growth of IDI in Mauritius

Swiss Re

Swiss Re's engineering reinsurance team describes how digital facultative capacity (eFac IDI) helped local insurers scale inherent defects insurance in a mandatory market, illustrating how reinsurance capacity underpins emerging IDI regimes.

Residential tower under construction with a crane

May 2025

Originally published February 2025

Housing Construction Productivity: Can We Fix It?

Productivity Commission (Commonwealth Government)

The Commission's research paper finds the number of homes built per hour worked has fallen by half since the 1990s, examining regulatory complexity, fragmented delivery, rework and defects as contributors to weak construction productivity.

Editorial note: Originally published in February 2025; included for its analysis of construction quality and productivity.

Apartment balcony and non-combustible cladding junction

April 2025

Originally published 28 April 2022

Building Safety Act 2022

UK Government (legislation.gov.uk)

The Act creates a Building Safety Regulator, gateway approvals for higher-risk buildings, a duty-holder regime through design and construction, and extends the limitation period for claims over defective dwellings to up to 30 years retrospectively.

Editorial note: Originally published in April 2022; included as a comparable overseas building safety reform.

European masonry residential facade with shuttered windows

March 2025

Originally published 5 November 1999

Ley 38/1999 de Ordenación de la Edificación (Spanish Building Act)

Boletín Oficial del Estado (Government of Spain)

Spain's Building Act establishes tiered defect liability for building work — ten years for structural defects, three years for habitability including waterproofing, and one year for finishes — supported by compulsory insurance for residential buildings.

Editorial note: Originally published in November 1999; included as a long-running international decennial liability regime.

Low-rise apartment building under construction with scaffolding

February 2025

Originally published February 2018

Building Confidence: Improving the Effectiveness of Compliance and Enforcement Systems

Australian Building Codes Board (Shergold and Weir report)

The report commissioned by Building Ministers sets out 24 recommendations covering registration and training of practitioners, integrity of private building surveyors, inspection regimes, documentation and post-construction information for owners.

Editorial note: Originally published in February 2018; included as the foundational Australian reference on building compliance reform.

Have a source we should add?

This library is curated from primary government, regulator, research and reinsurer publications. Get in touch if you know of a resource we should review.