The Building Better Homes campaign featured in the news in both Queensland and NSW recently.
Building Better Homes is a coalition of peak bodies and organisations working to ensure the mandatory accessibility standards in the 2022 National Building Code (NCC) are properly implemented in every state and territory.
In the lead-up to the recent Queensland state election it called on both major parties to maintain and strengthen Queensland’s adoption of the Livable Housing Design Standard.
The Head of Policy, Communications and Systems Change at the Summer Foundation, Jessica Walker, said the Queensland Government had enacted the standard a year ago but had since introduced a series of exemptions and delayed some aspects of the rollout.
“Regional Queenslanders have expressed a clear preference to age in place,” she said on regional radio.
“Only through full implementation of the Livable Housing Standard will we be able to increase accessible housing stock and support regional Queenslanders to do just that.”
In September, under the headline “Going for gold in accessible living not on NSW’s radar”, the Newcastle Herald published an article from Julie Charlton, a campaign ambassador, elite para shotput athlete and disability and youth advocate.
“Finding a house that’s accessible for someone in a wheelchair is a pipe dream in this state,” Julie wrote.
“I am proud of my contribution to society, but as a NSW resident I feel abandoned by our state government.
“The Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review recommended the NSW government adopt the standards in the NCC for all new houses. Last month, the NSW government again refused to sign up to the standards, as part of their response to the Disability Royal Commission.
“By failing to sign up they disregard the needs of people with disability and older Australians and deny us our right to safe affordable housing.”
The article came after the August rally in Sydney’s CBD calling on the NSW government to adopt mandatory accessibility design standards for all new houses.
The NSW government is one of only 2 state governments that have refused to sign up to the design standards.