All gender facilities
What has changed?
- NCC 2025 introduces a Deemed‑to‑Satisfy (DTS) option for some buildings to include all gender bathrooms in-lieu of a proportion of male-only and female-only facilities.
- Each all gender facility provided under this option must:
- contain one closet pan and one washbasin within the same compartment
- have floor‑to‑ceiling partitions
- be clearly signed as an “all gender” facility.
As with all other sanitary facilities, a sanitary product disposal bin must be provided.
Because the facility can be used by females, a dispenser for menstruation products must also be provided at that bank of sanitary facilities.
Optional Pathway
An optional pathway has been introduced in lieu of applying the traditional pathway, which includes provision for all‑gender facilities alongside male and female facilities, in commercial buildings. This voluntary pathway allows up to 50 per cent of the required male and female facilities to be provided as all-gender facilities, applied equally. Where buildings and tenancies have low occupancy, a higher proportion of all-gender facilities may be provided.
Why have these changes been made?
Safe, private, and inclusive public toilets are essential for enabling all people to participate fully in community life.
All gender bathrooms are available to everyone and can accommodate people with medical conditions who may require access to a private facility, and parents/carers with young children. They can also be a good option when there is a high volume of bathroom use.
This change supports the continued provision of male‑only and female‑only facilities, while also giving building owners and developers a compliant pathway to provide all gender facilities that can be used by the entire community.
NCC 2022 did not prohibit the installation of all-gender sanitary facilities in Class 3-9 buildings. However, it still required the minimum number of male and female facilities to be provided under F4D4(1).
As a result, projects commonly relied on Performance Solutions to reduce male and female facilities and substitute all gender toilets. NCC 2025 now provides a clear DTS option, however, it is not mandatory.
