Livable Housing Design assessments in NSW: LHA vs NCC LHDS
NSW architects and developers are asked for “livable housing” under two similarly named instruments: the Livable Housing Design Guidelines (LHA Silver, Gold and Platinum) and the ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design (LHDS). They are not the same document. This page sets out which instrument applies when under the current NSW NCC variations, what typically triggers a DA assessment, and what Sydney Access Consultants assesses.
The short answer for NSW projects
Building work in New South Wales is currently assessed against NCC 2022 Amendment 2. NSW has deferred adoption of NCC 2025 until 1 May 2027. Under the NSW variations to NCC 2022, Part G7 (Volume One) and Part H8 (Volume Two) are deliberately left blank. Official NCC text states that livable housing design requirements under those Parts do not apply to Class 1a buildings or to sole-occupancy units in Class 2 buildings in NSW.
The ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard is not a mandatory Deemed-to-Satisfy requirement for those dwellings via the NCC in NSW under the current variations. Some online explainers still say LHDS has been mandatory in NSW since 2023. That does not match the official NSW Parts.
LHA Silver, Gold and Platinum remain voluntary guidelines (last updated 2017). Projects may still be required or requested to meet them through a council DCP, housing-provider policy, client brief or consent condition. Policy can change. Confirm the current NCC NSW variations and the project’s planning controls at the time of design.
Two documents, similar names
Livable Housing Design Guidelines (LHA)
Voluntary performance levels used across Australia. Silver is the baseline set of universal-design features (seven elements). Gold adds further elements (about twelve in total). Platinum is the highest published LHA level (about fifteen). They are a first step toward ageing-in-place usability. They are not equivalent to AS 1428.1 or to Specialist Disability Accommodation design standards. Older DCPs and social-housing briefs still name Silver, Gold or Platinum.
ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design (LHDS)
A regulatory technical standard adapted from LHA Silver. The ABCB states it is not an exact replication. It is called up by NCC Parts G7 and H8 where those Parts apply. It is written for Class 1a dwellings and Class 2 sole-occupancy units. It is not specialist accommodation and is not AS 1428.1 equivalence. The ABCB also publishes a handbook and a voluntary Beyond Minimum standard aligned with a higher livability level.
| Document | Status in NSW (September 2026) | Who typically asks for it |
|---|---|---|
| LHA Silver / Gold / Platinum | Voluntary guidelines; may be called up by DCP, brief or condition | Councils, housing providers, social-housing programs, client ESG briefs |
| ABCB LHDS via NCC G7 / H8 | Those NCC Parts do not apply to Class 1a / Class 2 SOUs in NSW | Interstate projects, or a DCP that names LHDS expressly (confirm the DCP) |
| ABCB Beyond Minimum | Voluntary higher-performance standard | Developers seeking more than the Silver / LHDS baseline |
Which document applies when
- Ordinary new houses and apartments in NSW: do not assume NCC livable housing compliance via G7 or H8.
- Planning / brief pathway: read the DCP, Housing SEPP overlays, Apartment Design Guide diversity expectations, provider specs and the client brief for explicit LHA wording or “livable housing”.
- Council DCP call-up of LHDS: possible in some localities even though the statewide NCC Parts are blank. Verify that DCP. Do not assume it.
- Voluntary / market: a developer may choose LHA Gold or Platinum, LHDS or Beyond Minimum for marketability.
- Work outside NSW: design to the adopting jurisdiction’s NCC Parts. Western Australia adopted NCC 2025 from 1 May 2026 with a transition. Do not export the NSW blank Parts.
- New SDA: use the SDA Design Standard, not LHA, for enrolment certification. See SDA Design Standard certification.
When a livable housing report is needed for DA
Typical triggers are a DCP, a consent condition, a housing-provider brief, or a voluntary level that the team wants documented for lodgement. It is not “always mandatory under the NCC in NSW.”
The report maps the drawings to the nominated instrument and level, identifies gaps, and recommends changes while they are cheap. Design-stage assessment comes first. A completion check is used where a level must be verified after construction. Livable-housing findings often sit beside a broader DA or CC access report. They do not replace Premises Standards assessment of common areas.
What SAC assesses, and what to send
The previous version of this page said livable housing provisions are mandated under NSW planning controls. That phrase is too broad. NCC Parts G7 and H8 do not mandate LHDS for Class 1a or Class 2 sole-occupancy units in NSW. A planning control or brief might still require an LHA level. The assessment has to name the instrument that actually applies.
We assess residential and social-housing projects against the nominated document:
- LHA Silver, Gold or Platinum where that is the brief
- ABCB LHDS or Beyond Minimum where the brief, a DCP or an interstate pathway nominates those
Send floor plans and details for entries, paths, doors and corridors, sanitary facilities, stairs and wall-reinforcement intent. Ask about this service on (02) 9586 3111.
Boundaries
Adaptable housing (AS 4299) is a different DCP product, usually a percentage of dwellings that can be adapted later. Livable is not adaptable. See Adaptable Housing (AS 4299) reports.
Premises Standards and AS 1428 govern common areas of Class 2 buildings and public buildings. That work sits on access reports for DA, CC and CDC.
SDA uses the NDIS SDA Design Standard for new-build enrolment. Do not use LHA as the certification path for new SDA. If the brief mixes SDA, livable and adaptable language, start with SDA vs livable vs adaptable.
How Sydney Access Consultants delivers
GJ Finn & DW Wong trading as Sydney Access Consultants prepare livable housing assessments for architects, developers and housing providers. The first job is to nominate the right document so the team does not design to the wrong instrument. Adjacent work: DA/CC access reports, Performance Solutions where a nominated provision cannot be met, adaptable housing reports, and SDA pathways.
Work is based in Hurstville. On the Mid North Coast, Sandy Grey works from Black Beach. In Perth and Western Australia the same assessment discipline is applied against the instruments that apply there. See locations.
Frequently asked questions
Is NCC livable housing mandatory for new houses and apartments in NSW?
Under the current NSW variations, Parts G7 and H8 are left blank. LHDS is not a mandatory NCC DtS requirement for Class 1a buildings or Class 2 sole-occupancy units in NSW. A DCP, brief or condition may still require livable housing features. Re-check the NCC NSW variations if policy changes, including when NSW adopts NCC 2025 on 1 May 2027.
Should we use LHA Silver or the ABCB LHDS if both are optional?
Use the document the DCP, provider or client names. If the brief is silent and the work is in NSW, LHA Silver is still the language most local briefs understand. LHDS is the better citation where another jurisdiction’s NCC Parts apply, or where a DCP names the ABCB Standard. Neither is full wheelchair accessibility.
Do we need a separate livable housing report if we already have a disability access report?
Often yes, if a DCP or brief nominates an LHA level or LHDS. A Premises Standards access report covers common areas and public parts. It does not automatically assess every Silver or Gold element inside sole-occupancy units.
Is livable housing the same as adaptable housing (AS 4299)?
No. See adaptable housing reports.
Related: Livable Housing Design under NCC 2022.