New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia have each opted out of national accessible housing standards, which would see all new buildings require a ground floor toilet, step-free entry access, wider doorways, and reinforced showers among other measures.

The silver standard design guidelines from Liveable Housing Australia were incorporated into the National Construction Code (NCC) earlier this year to come into effect in September 2022.

The decision of the three states means many residents will continue to have difficulty accessing suitable accommodation.

“An inconsistent approach across States and Territories creates an operating environment that is confusing for the construction industry, disability service providers and, importantly, people with disability,” said an NDS spokesperson.

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