Last Day to Lodge Your ACT DA and Keep NCC 2022 Available: What Happens From 1 November

If you have an ACT project that is close to lodgement, today matters. According to the ACT planning website, projects with a development application or works approval application lodged before 1 November 2026 may keep seeking building approval under either NCC 2022 or NCC 2025 until that application expires. Saturday 31 October is the last day to lodge and qualify.

What lodging today locks in

A DA or works approval application lodged by 31 October keeps NCC 2022 (with the ACT 2022 Appendix) available for your building approval for as long as that application remains current. You can still choose NCC 2025 if it suits the project, so the lodgement preserves an option rather than forcing one.

What happens if you lodge from 1 November

You are not caught out immediately. The ACT is in a transition period from 1 May 2026 to 1 May 2027. During that period, a building approval can comply with either NCC 2022 and the ACT 2022 Appendix, or NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix. The difference is what happens at the end of it:

• Building approval before 1 May 2027: either edition is available, whenever the DA was lodged.
• Building approval from 1 May 2027: if your DA was lodged from 1 November 2026, the building approval must comply with NCC 2025 and the ACT 2025 Appendix.
• DA lodged before 1 November 2026: you may continue under either edition until the application expires, even if building approval is sought after 1 May 2027.

So the 31 October date is most valuable for large or staged projects, and for any project where the DA approval and building approval are likely to be separated by many months.

Should you rush to lodge?

Not necessarily. A rushed lodgement with incomplete documents can create its own delays, and the lock-in only has value if your building approval would otherwise fall after 1 May 2027. Questions to ask:

• Is building approval realistically going to be lodged and decided before 1 May 2027?
• Is the design already compliant with NCC 2022, or has it been developed against NCC 2025?
• Does NCC 2025 help or hurt? It brings stronger energy efficiency for commercial buildings, improved waterproofing and drainage, condensation and mould measures for new homes, upgraded carpark fire safety and increased female toilet ratios. Some projects may prefer these requirements.
• How long does your application remain valid, and what happens if it expires?

Check the detail before relying on this

The ACT Government’s announcement and planning page describe the dates in slightly different terms, and the ACT 2025 Appendix may still change. Confirm the position for your specific application with the planning authority, and have your BCA consultant record in writing which NCC edition and ACT Appendix your project is being assessed against.

If you have missed the date, or are unsure whether your application qualifies, our BCA consultancy team can map the NCC edition to your timeline and design. Contact us to talk it through.