Constructive reduction: How NCC 2025 cuts female‑only toilets

The AAWAA Women’s Advocate · Mar 12, 2026 · 10m

In this episode Emma and Suzi unpack the NCC 2025 preview’s new ‘all‑gender’ toilet option and what it really means for women’s access to safe, adequate facilities in public buildings. Drawing on AAWAA’s 2024 submission to the Australian Building Codes Board, we explain how the change allows a ‘constructive reduction’ in female‑only toilets, why all‑gender cubicles do not replace women’s toilets in practice, and how sanitary bin rules still quietly assume sex‑based needs. We also examine the consultation process itself – where women’s groups engaged in detail but industry‑backed proposals…