The Federal Budget delivered in May 2026 included a significant reform initiative aimed at improving public access to mandatory Australian Standards referenced in legislation.
As part of the announcement, the Australian Government has allocated $42.7 million over four years to support a new public access model administered by Standards Australia. The initiative is expected to provide free read-only access to standards that are mandated through legislation and regulatory frameworks.
The reform forms part of the Federal Government’s broader productivity and compliance agenda, aimed at reducing barriers to accessing mandatory technical standards and lowering regulatory costs for businesses, trades and industry participants.
In announcing the initiative, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the reforms were intended to improve access to essential compliance information and reduce unnecessary costs associated with mandatory standards, particularly for trades and small businesses operating within highly regulated sectors.
The reform is intended to improve accessibility to standards relating to areas such as construction and building, workplace health and safety, product safety, trade workmanship and installation requirements. However, not all Australian Standards will become freely accessible, with the current focus limited to standards directly referenced in legislation.
At this stage, further implementation details are still being developed by Standards Australia, including how the proposed read-only access system will operate in practice and how users will access the platform.
While AAVT supports improved accessibility to mandatory standards, the Association is continuing to assess how the reforms may affect the vertical transport industry in practice.
Currently, only a limited number of lift-related standards are directly referenced in legislation, including:
* AS 1735.11:1986 – Fire-rated lift landing doors
* AS 1735.12:1999 – Facilities for persons with disabilities
* AS ISO 25745.2 – Energy performance of lifts and escalators
AAVT notes that several of the referenced standards are either aged or superseded documents, while many contemporary vertical transport design, installation and maintenance standards are not directly referenced in legislation.
As further details emerge, AAVT will continue engaging with relevant stakeholders and government bodies to better understand the practical implications of the reforms for the vertical transport industry, including whether additional advocacy may be required to support appropriate access to contemporary technical standards across the sector.
AAVT will provide further updates as implementation details are released.
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