Adelaide is climate zone 5 in Table 3 of the NCC 2022 Glossary, while Lobethal, in the Adelaide Hills, is zone 6, so the zone depends on the address. Zone 5 insulation R-values sit in Part 13.2 of the Housing Provisions, which forms the elemental Deemed-to-Satisfy route with Parts 13.3 to 13.5; house energy rating software is the other route. This note quotes both, and what an R-value measures.
What climate zone is Adelaide under the NCC?
Table 3 in the NCC 2022 Glossary lists Adelaide as climate zone 5. The same table lists Lobethal, Murray Bridge, Victor Harbour and Mount Gambier as 6, and Port Augusta and Whyalla as 4. The Glossary defines a climate zone as an area “having energy efficiency provisions based on a range of similar climatic characteristics”.
The ABCB describes zone 5 as “warm temperate” and zone 6 as “mild temperate”. Table 3 lists named places only. For everywhere else the zone comes from the map.
What climate zone is the Adelaide Hills?
The Adelaide Hills has no single climate zone in the NCC: it depends on the address. Table 3 lists Lobethal as 6, and has no entry called Adelaide Hills.
The South Australian Government’s Energy Efficiency (Climate) Zones dataset, published on data.gov.au and tested at a town-centre point on 2 November 2026, places Stirling, Hahndorf, Mount Barker and Lobethal in Zone 6, and Belair, Blackwood and the Adelaide city centre in Zone 5. The boundary therefore runs between those places, and a town-centre test does not settle an address near it.
For a particular property, the ABCB’s advice on its Climate Map is: “Simply search using your address or postcode in the map.” It adds: “Do not use old references that tied climate zones to Local Government Area (LGA) boundaries, as those are no longer reliable.” The assessor or designer can confirm the zone used for the application.
The notes to Figure 2 also deal with altitude, for Zone 4 areas only: “A Zone 4 area in South Australia, other than a council area, at an altitude greater than 300 m above the Australian Height Datum is to be considered as Zone 5.” The next note says those areas are defined on three State maps, including an Adelaide Hills Climate Zone Map on the South Australian Government website, which could not be opened for this note.
What does insulation R-value mean?
An R-value measures resistance to heat flow. YourHome says: “The higher the R-value, the higher the level of insulation.” The NCC Glossary defines R-Value as “The thermal resistance of a component calculated by dividing its thickness by its thermal conductivity, expressed in m².K/W.”
Total R-Value is a different figure. The Glossary defines it as “The sum of the R-Values of the individual component layers in a composite element including any building material, insulating material, airspace, thermal bridging and associated surface resistances”.
The minimum figures in the Part 13.2 tables discussed below apply to the insulation product: “R-Values listed are for the labelled, declared R-Value of insulation.” The explanatory information to clause 13.2.2 states that the R-Value of insulation “is reduced if it is compressed.”
YourHome also warns that “R-values in Australia are metric and are different from R-values in the United States”, so the two are not directly comparable.
Climate zone 5 insulation requirements in Part 13.2
These are Deemed-to-Satisfy figures for the elemental route, set out in Part 13.2 of the Housing Provisions. In the tables, “SA” means solar absorptance, not South Australia.
Ceilings: Table 13.2.3f, for a pitched roof with a horizontal ceiling, gives a minimum of R2.5 or R3.0, depending on roof ventilation, reflective insulation, any under-roof insulation and solar absorptance. Table 13.2.3o, for a flat, skillion or cathedral roof, gives R2.5 with reflective insulation under the roof and R3.0 without.
Walls: Table 13.2.5i, for masonry veneer, ranges from R1.5 to R3.0 by solar absorptance, overhang and wall height, with some combinations marked “X”, which its note defines as “not permitted”. Dwellings of two or more storeys add R0.5, and clause 13.2.5(2) adds R0.3 for lightweight walls. Table 13.2.5j, for masonry cavity walls, ranges from R0.0 to R0.62, with R0.25 added for two or more storeys.
Floors: over an enclosed subfloor, Table 13.2.6e gives suspended floor insulation of R1.5 to R2.5 by subfloor wall height and reflective insulation, with subfloor wall insulation of R0.0 or R0.5. Over an unenclosed space, Table 13.2.6a gives no R-Value for zone 5: it shows “X”, which its note defines as “not permitted”. That entry belongs to the elemental tables; whether such a floor can comply is a question for the designer, energy assessor and relevant authority.
In climate zones 1 to 5, clause 13.2.3(10) limits the solar absorptance of the upper surface of a roof to 0.64, and clause 13.2.5(3) limits that of the outer surface of a wall used in 13.2.5(1) or (2) to 0.7. Metal-framed roofs, walls and floors also have thermal bridging provisions. This is a summary of the tables, not a substitute for them.
What changes in climate zone 6?
Changes in zone 6 include the following. For a pitched roof with a horizontal ceiling, Table 13.2.3g gives R3.0 to R4.0, against R2.5 to R3.0 in zone 5, and its notes add that “In climate zones 6, 7 and 8, roof ventilation must comply with 10.8.3.” For a floor over an unenclosed space, Table 13.2.6a gives R4.0, or R3.5 if used in conjunction with a reflective airspace. Table 13.2.5k, for masonry veneer, marks more combinations “X” than Table 13.2.5i.
Clause 13.2.6(5) adds a requirement for climate zones 6 and 7: except for a waffle-pod slab, insulation with an R-Value “greater than or equal to 0.64” must be installed around the vertical edge of the perimeter and underneath the slab. Separately, clause 13.2.6(4), which names no climate zone, covers a slab-on-ground with an in-slab or in-screed heating or cooling system, which “must have insulation with an R-Value greater than or equal to 1.0” around the vertical edge of its perimeter; clause 13.2.6(7) excepts an in-screed system used solely in a bathroom, amenity area or the like.
R-value tables or a star rating: two routes
The R-value tables are not the only way to comply. Clause H6D2 of Volume Two gives two Deemed-to-Satisfy routes, which its explanatory information calls “Option 1 Energy Rating” and “Option 2 Elemental Provisions”.
Option 2 uses Section 13 of the Housing Provisions, and H6D2(1)(b) lists Part 13.2 for the building fabric, Part 13.3 for external glazing and shading, Part 13.4 for building sealing and Part 13.5 for ceiling fans. Meeting the R-value tables on their own does not complete that list.
Option 1 uses house energy rating software under Specification 42. Clause S42C2(1) sets the threshold at 7 stars, including separate heating and cooling load limits, with lower figures that apply only to buildings in climate zones 1 or 2 with a qualifying covered outdoor living area. South Australia has separate concessions in Ministerial Building Standard MBS 007, some of which allow 6 stars. Whether a concession applies is decided by the relevant authority against the version of MBS 007 in force for that application.
The software route still draws in listed Housing Provisions clauses on insulation, thermal breaks, slab edge insulation and building sealing, as modified for South Australia by MBS 007. H6D2(2) deals separately with energy usage under H6P2. A Performance Solution is also available, assessed by the relevant authority assessing the building work.
Which route suits a design is a question for the designer and energy assessor. Commencement dates and the South Australian concessions are set out in the note on the 7 star energy rating.
What South Australia varies
Both South Australian schedules were checked. SA 13.1.2 replaces clause 13.1.2, and its second subclause states: “In South Australia, for the purposes of Section 13, a sunroom or the like is deemed to be a Class 10a building and must comply with 13.2.7.” Clause 13.2.7 covers a Class 10a building attached to a Class 1 building.
The schedule does not list Part 13.2, and the Volume Two schedule has no entry for Part H6. MBS 007 modifies the energy provisions separately, as the 7 star note explains.
The ABCB records that NCC 2025 was published on 1 May 2026, and lists South Australia as “BCA: 1 May 2027 / PCA: 1 May 2026”. Which edition applies to a particular application is for the relevant authority or building certifier to confirm.
Common Questions
What climate zone is Adelaide under the NCC?
Table 3 in the NCC 2022 Glossary lists Adelaide as climate zone 5. Table 3 names only some places. For a particular property, the ABCB advises searching the address or postcode on its Climate Map, and parts of the Adelaide Hills are in a different zone.
What climate zone is the Adelaide Hills?
It depends on the address. NCC 2022 Table 3 lists Lobethal as climate zone 6, and the South Australian Government’s Energy Efficiency (Climate) Zones dataset, tested at town-centre points on 2 November 2026, places Stirling, Hahndorf and Mount Barker in Zone 6 and Belair in Zone 5. Search the address on the ABCB Climate Map, and confirm with the assessor or designer.
What R-value do I need in climate zone 5?
Under the Deemed-to-Satisfy elemental route in Part 13.2 of the NCC 2022 Housing Provisions, zone 5 tables include ceilings at R2.5 or R3.0, and masonry veneer walls at R1.5 to R3.0 before additions for two or more storeys or lightweight walls, with some combinations not permitted, depending on the construction. The elemental tables are one Deemed-to-Satisfy route; the software route uses Specification 42 but retains its listed requirements for insulation and other energy-saving features, and a Performance Solution is also available.
What is an insulation R-value?
YourHome describes R-value as how well an insulation product resists heat flow, and says the higher the R-value, the higher the level of insulation. The NCC 2022 Glossary defines R-Value as thermal resistance, calculated by dividing thickness by thermal conductivity. Total R-Value is the sum for all the layers in a composite element, including thermal bridging.
Do I need R-value tables if I have a 7 star rating?
Clause H6D2 of NCC 2022 Volume Two gives two Deemed-to-Satisfy routes for thermal performance: house energy rating software under Specification 42, or Part 13.2 with Parts 13.3, 13.4 and 13.5. The software route still requires listed Housing Provisions clauses, as modified in South Australia by MBS 007. The designer, energy assessor and relevant authority confirm what applies.
Does South Australia vary NCC Part 13.1?
Yes, in one clause. SA 13.1.2 of NCC 2022 replaces clause 13.1.2, and provides that, for Section 13, a sunroom or the like is deemed to be a Class 10a building and must comply with 13.2.7. The SA schedule to the Housing Provisions does not list Part 13.2. MBS 007 separately modifies the energy provisions for South Australia.
Sources
- NCC 2022 ABCB Housing Provisions — Glossary (Climate zone, Table 3, Figure 2 notes, R-Value, Total R-Value)Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 ABCB Housing Provisions — Part 13.2 Building fabric (clauses 13.2.1 to 13.2.7 and tables)Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 ABCB Housing Provisions — Part 13.1 Scope and application of Section 13Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 ABCB Housing Provisions — Schedule 8 South Australia, SA 13.1.2Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 Volume Two — Part H6 Energy efficiency (H6D2)Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 Volume Two — Specification 42 House energy rating software (S42C4)Accessed 2026-11-02
- NCC 2022 Volume Two — Schedule 8 South Australia (index of variations)Accessed 2026-11-02
- ABCB — ABCB Climate Map (climate zone descriptions and FAQs)Accessed 2026-11-02
- Government of South Australia — Energy Efficiency (Climate) Zones dataset, via data.gov.au (updated 25 June 2025)Accessed 2026-11-02
- YourHome — InsulationAccessed 2026-11-02
- ABCB — NCC 2025 state and territory adoption informationAccessed 2026-11-02
This page describes legislation as it stood on the access dates above. It is not legal advice about any particular property.
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