If you’re a developer with a project currently in DA, under construction, or somewhere in between, the National Construction Code 2025 changes have probably generated more confusion than clarity.
The announcements have been fragmented. The state-by-state timelines are different. Some provisions have been delayed, others haven’t. And the industry advice you’re getting from your certifier, your builder, your electrical consultant may be pulling in different directions depending on when they last updated their knowledge.
This article won’t cover every NCC 2025 change. It covers the EV charging provisions specifically and addresses the questions we’re actually hearing from developers right now: what applies to my project, when does it apply, and what do I need to do about it?
First: The Code You’re Working Under Depends on When and Where You Are
The most important thing to understand is that NCC 2025 adoption is not uniform across Australia, and it is not yet mandatory in most jurisdictions.
As of mid-2025, here is the practical picture:
Victoria: NCC 2025 is mandatory from 1 May 2026. If you’re a Victorian developer lodging a new building permit from that date forward, NCC 2025 applies. Projects with permits already issued before 1 May 2026 generally continue under NCC 2022.
NSW and Queensland: NCC 2025 becomes mandatory from 1 May 2027, with voluntary early adoption available from 1 May 2026. Developers in NSW who lodge a DA by approximately November 2026 can proceed under NCC 2022.
ACT: Mandatory from 1 May 2027, voluntary from 1 May 2026.
SA, WA, Tasmania, NT: Adoption date to be confirmed, voluntary use from 1 May 2026.
What this means in practice: If your project is mid-DA in NSW or Queensland right now, you are almost certainly still operating under NCC 2022, not NCC 2025. The pressure you may be feeling about NCC 2025 compliance is, in most cases, forward-looking rather than immediately applicable.
That said, the timelines are close enough that any project with a multi-year construction timeline, such as an apartment tower or commercial complex starting construction in late 2025 or 2026, may complete under a different regulatory environment than it began under. This is worth planning for.
Always confirm your specific situation with your certifier and the relevant state building authority. The dates above are correct as at mid-2025, but the regulatory environment is still evolving.
What the NCC 2025 EV Provisions Actually Require (for Commercial Buildings)
Setting aside the residential delay, more on that below, the NCC 2025 EV charging provisions for commercial buildings are substantive and worth understanding in detail.
The key requirements under NCC 2025 Section J9D4 for new buildings with car parks:
Dedicated EV distribution board (DB-EV)
Every new car park must have a dedicated distribution board for EV charging on each storey. One distribution board is required per 24 EV-ready car park spaces. This board must be separate from the general services board and clearly labelled for EV use.
Space for active chargers, sized by building class
Class 2 buildings (apartments): DB-EV must be sized for 100% of car park spaces at 7kW / 32A per space
Class 5 and 6 buildings (offices and retail): DB-EV must be sized for 10% of spaces
Class 3, 7b, 8, and 9 buildings (hotels, warehouses, factories, public buildings): 20% of spaces
Note that “sized for” does not necessarily mean chargers must be physically installed in every space. It means the distribution board and electrical infrastructure must have the capacity to support that number of chargers when tenants or owners choose to install them.
Minimum energy delivery per circuit
Each circuit must support a minimum energy delivery of 12kWh per standard charge window (11pm–7am for residential-adjacent, 9am–5pm for commercial applications). Hotels (Class 3) require 48kWh per circuit overnight.
Load management system
A charging control system is mandatory. It must be capable of scheduling and managing EV charging in response to total building demand, preventing scenarios where simultaneous charging overwhelms the site’s grid connection.
Cable pathways
Cable tray or conduit must be run from the distribution board to within 10 metres of every EV-ready space. If a bus duct system is used instead of cable tray, chargers must be within reach of the bus duct. The intent is that a future charger installation should require only the last-metre connection, not a full new cable run.
Sub-circuit metering provision
The DB-EV must include space for individual sub-circuit metering, at minimum 36mm of DIN rail per outgoing circuit, allowing electricity used for EV charging to be separately tracked. This is important for cost recovery and tenancy billing.
The Residential Delay: What Actually Got Paused
In October 2025, Building Ministers agreed to delay most residential NCC 2025 provisions, including mandatory EV-ready requirements for new homes, until mid-2029.
For developers of standalone residential projects (Class 1a houses, duplexes), this is effectively a four-year reprieve from mandatory EV charging requirements. NCC 2022 continues to apply.
For developers of apartments (Class 2), the position is less clear-cut. Class 2 buildings are captured by the commercial provisions in J9D4, not the residential delay. The residential delay covers Class 1a and Class 1b buildings. Multi-residential apartment developers should not assume the residential delay applies to their projects, confirm with your certifier.
The Cost Argument for Early Compliance
Even where NCC 2025 isn’t yet mandatory for your project, there’s a compelling financial argument for designing to its requirements voluntarily.
The numbers are stark:
Compliant EV infrastructure installed during construction: approximately $300 to $800 per car park space
Retrofitting the same infrastructure into a completed building: $2,000 to $5,000 per space
The difference is primarily access and disruption. During construction, cable tray goes in while ceilings are open. Conduit is run while walls are accessible. Distribution boards are installed when the switchroom is bare. Post-construction, every one of those tasks requires cutting into finished surfaces, working around completed services, and managing disruption to occupants.
For a 200-space commercial car park, the difference between in-construction and post-construction EV infrastructure can exceed $800,000. For a large apartment tower, it can reach into the millions.
This calculation is increasingly influencing developer decisions in states where NCC 2025 isn’t yet mandatory, particularly for projects targeting institutional investors, sustainability-rated tenancies, or buyers in higher-income demographics where EV ownership rates are significantly above average.
What Developers Mid-Project Should Actually Do Right Now
If you’re in DA in NSW or Queensland: You are likely still operating under NCC 2022. However, if your construction timeline extends into 2027, your certifier should be advising you on whether a NCC 2025 design review is warranted. The cost of revising electrical drawings now is significantly less than a compliance variation mid-construction.
If you’re in construction in Victoria: Your permit date relative to 1 May 2026 determines which code applies. Confirm this with your certifier and review whether your current electrical design meets NCC 2025 J9D4 requirements, particularly around DB-EV sizing and cable pathway provisions.
If you’re in the design phase anywhere: Design to NCC 2025 now. The marginal cost of compliant electrical design is low, the cost of redesign later is high. Your project will almost certainly be occupied during the period when NCC 2025 is fully active across all jurisdictions, and buyers, tenants, and valuers are increasingly treating EV infrastructure as a standard amenity, not an optional extra.
If you’re a Class 2 apartment developer: Don’t assume the residential delay applies to you. Confirm with your certifier whether J9D4 applies to your building class.
The Bottom Line
NCC 2025 has created genuine complexity for developers mid-project, and the state-by-state stagger hasn’t helped. But the practical answer for most developers is simpler than the regulatory noise suggests:
If your project is already permitted in a non-Victorian jurisdiction, you’re likely still on NCC 2022. If you’re still in design or early DA, design to NCC 2025 standards anyway, the economics strongly support it, and the compliance window is approaching faster than most project timelines allow.
EVSE Australia’s commercial team works directly with developers, builders, and electrical consultants on NCC 2025 EV infrastructure design and installation across all Australian states. If you’d like to understand what J9D4 means for your specific project, contact us here.
EVSE Australia is a leading supplier and installer of commercial EV charging infrastructure. Our technical team has completed EV-ready installations across Class 2, 5, 6, and 7b buildings in multiple Australian jurisdictions.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information on NCC 2025 as it relates to EV charging infrastructure and is correct to the best of our knowledge as at June 2025. The regulatory environment is evolving, and adoption timelines may change. Always confirm your project’s compliance obligations with your building certifier and the relevant state building authority.
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