The National Construction Code will be free to access online as of 2015 and will help eliminate some of the red tape faced by the construction sector, one group has argued.
The Housing Industry Association's (HIA) Senior Executive Director Kristin Brookfield explained how the move was a "win for common sense" as having access to the regulations is a "necessity for everyone in the building industry".
One of the main components of the National Construction Code is the Building Code of Australia (BCA), which the HIA believes should be as easily accessible as every other state or territory regulation.
Mr Brookfield argued: "To require builders and plumbers to pay for access to the most important compliance document for the industry is contrary to achieving the delivery of affordable housing at the highest possible standard."
In light of this new measure, it should become easier for modular homes in Australia and other types of construction to remain compliant with the necessary legislation.
The BCA has been in place since 1996 and the HIA believes that failing to make it available to interested parties free of charge has been a significant oversight.
Builders and other stakeholders have been required to pay for a new version of the code each year, so the group indicated that this is a win-win situation for builders and housing affordability.
"More importantly, this move will open the door to removing the need to update the code every year and avoid the 'churn' in building regulation that builders currently face," Ms Brookfield noted.
However, there are still various Australian Standards that construction workers are still required to purchase, so the HIA will now be focusing on ensuring these charges can be revoked.
It hopes that the move to make the National Construction Code more accessible will give authorities the encouragement they need to implement further changes.