11 September 2026

The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the proposed National Voluntary Certification Scheme for Manufacturers of Prefabricated Construction.

ASBEC supports in principle the establishment of a nationally consistent certification framework for prefabricated construction. A well-designed national scheme has the potential to reduce unnecessary duplication, improve regulatory and industry confidence, and better recognise prefabricated construction as a manufacturing process rather than simply applying regulatory approaches developed for conventional on-site construction. The Scheme also has the potential to support productivity and innovation in the construction sector at a time when increasing housing supply and improving construction productivity are national priorities.

However, the benefits of the Scheme will depend heavily on its implementation and interaction with the broader building regulatory system. In particular, the intended benefits will not be realised if the Scheme outputs are not recognised consistently across jurisdictions or if existing regulatory requirements continue to require substantially different processes in each state and territory.

Read the full submission here