NSW Building Bill: what it means for interior designers
The Building (Approvals and Practitioners) Bill 2026 has now passed the NSW Legislative Assembly (28 May 2026) and is before the Legislative Council for concurrence. The Bill consolidates a fragmented system into a single Act - repealing the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 and the Building and Development Certifiers Act 2018, and replacing the construction and occupation certificate system with new "building approval" and "completion approval" pathways. Importantly, it does not replace the Home Building Act 1989, which continues to govern home-building contracts, statutory warranties and licensing.
The DIA has been actively engaged, working with the Hon. Emma Hurst MLC to advance amendments that would better recognise interior designers and address the sector's longstanding concerns. We're disappointed to report that the NSW Government has indicated it will not support these amendments at this stage. Ms Hurst is pressing the case in the Council, where debate on the amendments is still to come. See her speech below.
What this means for you
The Act sets the structure, but the substance that will determine how interior designers are defined, registered and able to practise sits in the regulations - which are yet to be written. The Bill's key provisions will not commence until those regulations are developed and approved, and they will be administered by the regulator, Building Commission NSW. In short, the outcome that matters most for our members will be decided not in the Act itself, but in the regulatory detail to follow.
That is precisely where the DIA is now focusing. The Government has committed to continuing consultation with the interior design sector, and we are pursuing a dedicated roundtable so members' concerns reach decision-makers directly. We will keep you closely informed; we are not letting this go.