
The NSW residential construction market is constantly evolving, shaped by economic shifts, regulatory changes, and new consumer demands.
As 2025 approaches, we thought to have a look at and investigate trends and forecasts that are likely to impact the residential construction industry, which may influence how homes are built.

In this article, we delve into the outcomes and significance of 'Operation Hammer', a joint initiative by NSW Fair Trading and the Australian Border Force aimed at illegal practices and promoting compliance within the residential building sector of North-West Sydney. The information presented is derived from a media release published on the NSW Government website.

This article focuses on the steps the NSW Government takes to establish the NSW Building Commission to regulate and oversee construction quality in the state. All information is sourced from a media release published on the NSW Government website.

This article highlights significant changes to the NSW Planning Portal, as of May 15, 2023. All information has been sourced directly from NSW Fair Trading.

The NSW Planning Portal has been updated to make managing and lodging regulated building designs much easier.
These changes, which started on May 15, 2023, were implemented to simplify document management for staged developments. The major benefit for NSW builders will be a smoother and more seamless experience for their construction projects.

From July 3, 2023, the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 and the Residential Apartment Buildings Act 2020 will be expanded to cover class 3 and 9c buildings. These acts exist to make sure that buildings are safe and meet the required standards for their design and construction.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has advised that the new National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 is now available.
The NCC incorporates all three Volumes of Australia’s building and plumbing codes into one convenient document, making it easier than ever before for builders to stay up-to-date with regulations.

As we all know, any NSW builder needs a building licence before they can do any contracted residential building work in NSW.
NSW Fair Trading has just announced that a range of licences will be digitised.
Licences that are now digitally available are:

We all know every NSW builder is expected to maintain a certain number of CPD points to keep a valid builder's licence. These qualifications have been outlined and covered in our previous blog here.