BASIX targets are the minimum performance outcomes a residential project must satisfy for water use, operational energy and thermal performance in New South Wales.
The term “target” is widely used by project teams, although NSW planning requirements formally refer to BASIX standards. The BASIX Tool compares the proposed development against the applicable standards and produces separate water and energy scores, together with heating and cooling performance results.
There is no single statewide BASIX score that applies to every project. The required outcomes vary according to factors such as location, dwelling type and development configuration. Each applicable assessment area must satisfy its own requirement before the BASIX Certificate can be generated.
In Brief
BASIX targets are the required water, energy and thermal-performance outcomes assigned to a residential project. Water and energy are displayed as scores, where a higher result represents a greater estimated reduction against the relevant benchmark. Thermal performance is assessed through heating and cooling limits, where lower modelled loads are generally better. A project must satisfy each applicable requirement separately; a strong result in one area does not compensate for a failure in another.
Knowledge Navigation
Terminology
The difference between the required standard and the project result.
Water
How estimated potable-water demand is compared with the benchmark.
Energy
How operational greenhouse-gas performance is assessed.
Thermal Performance
Why thermal performance is not expressed as another BASIX percentage.
Several related terms are commonly used when discussing BASIX results. They do not all mean the same thing.
| Term | Meaning | How It Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | The regulatory performance requirement prescribed for the project. | The project result must meet or exceed the applicable water and energy standards and remain within the thermal-performance limits. |
| Target | A common project-industry term for the result that must be achieved. | Often used interchangeably with “required standard”, particularly for water and energy scores. |
| Score | The calculated result produced by the BASIX Tool for water or energy. | A higher score indicates a larger estimated improvement against the applicable benchmark. |
| Thermal load | The modelled heating or cooling demand associated with maintaining suitable indoor conditions. | The load must remain within the relevant heating, cooling and combined limits. Lower is generally better. |
The required standard is determined by the regulatory framework. The score or modelled load is the project result. Design changes affect the result, but they do not normally change the standard against which the project is being assessed.
Reading the Assessment
| Assessment Area | Tool Output | Direction | Passing Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Percentage score | Higher is better | The score meets or exceeds the applicable water standard. |
| Energy | Percentage score | Higher is better | The score meets or exceeds the applicable energy standard. |
| Thermal performance | Heating, cooling and combined loads | Lower is better | All applicable load limits and project-level requirements are satisfied. |
| Materials | Embodied-emissions calculation and reporting | Reported separately | There is currently no separate BASIX materials pass/fail limit. |
The BASIX water score represents the estimated reduction in potable-water use compared with a similar benchmark dwelling from before BASIX was introduced.
For example, a water score of 40 indicates that the BASIX Tool estimates the proposed development will use 40 per cent less potable water than the relevant benchmark. It does not mean that the project uses only 40 per cent of its water allowance or that every individual fixture is 40 per cent more efficient.
The calculated result can reflect a combination of inputs such as:
The required water standard depends principally on the project location. A design that meets the standard in one part of NSW should not automatically be assumed to satisfy the requirement at another site.
Explore how water efficiency is assessed in BASIX →
The BASIX energy score represents the estimated reduction in operational greenhouse-gas emissions compared with the relevant pre-BASIX benchmark.
The energy calculation may include:
The applicable energy standard can vary according to location and development type. Houses and different categories of apartment buildings do not necessarily use the same required score or calculation structure.
The energy score is also connected to thermal performance. A dwelling with lower heating and cooling loads generally requires less operational energy to maintain suitable indoor conditions. However, the thermal assessment and the energy score remain separate BASIX requirements.
See how hot-water-system selection can affect BASIX →
Thermal performance is not expressed as another BASIX percentage score. Instead, the assessment considers the modelled heating and cooling required to maintain suitable indoor conditions.
Depending on the project, the thermal standard can include:
Higher modelled loads indicate that the dwelling is expected to require more artificial heating or cooling. To pass, the project must remain within all applicable thermal limits rather than merely achieving a favourable combined result.
Current higher standards are commonly associated with 7 Star NatHERS outcomes for many new residential developments. However, the applicable requirement is not a single universal statewide star rating. Location, dwelling type, project configuration and any relevant exceptions must still be checked.
Learn how thermal performance is assessed in BASIX →
A Separate Reporting Layer
The BASIX Materials Index calculates and records the embodied emissions associated with construction materials entered for the proposed development.
Unlike water, energy and thermal performance, the Materials Index does not currently apply a separate emissions limit that the project must pass. Its present role is calculation and reporting.
This distinction is important. A project may be required to provide accurate materials information even though the reported embodied-emissions result does not currently determine whether the BASIX assessment passes.
Explore the BASIX Materials Index →
BASIX requirements are not applied as one fixed percentage to every residential project in NSW. The regulatory standard is selected according to the characteristics of the development.
Factor 01
Water availability, heating demand, cooling demand and energy performance differ across NSW. The relevant site location helps determine the applicable standards.
Factor 02
Detached houses, attached dwellings and apartment buildings can be assessed against different energy and thermal-performance structures.
Factor 03
Larger and multi-dwelling developments may include shared services, common systems and project-level average requirements that do not arise for a single house.
Factor 04
New dwellings, alterations and additions, and pool or spa applications use different BASIX project structures and do not necessarily contain the same assessment sections.
The distinction between the required standard and the calculated project result is central to understanding BASIX.
Required Outcome
Calculated Outcome
Changing a window, hot-water system or rainwater connection may alter the project result. It does not usually lower the regulatory requirement that the project must meet.
Separate Compliance Tests
No. BASIX does not use one combined sustainability score that allows excess performance in one area to cancel a failure elsewhere.
A project must meet or exceed its water standard, meet or exceed its energy standard and satisfy every applicable thermal-performance requirement. A high water score cannot compensate for an energy failure, and additional photovoltaic capacity cannot automatically resolve excessive heating or cooling loads.
The assessment areas interact, but they remain separate compliance tests. Project changes should therefore be directed toward the part of the assessment that is not passing.
The BASIX Certificate cannot be finalised until the project satisfies each applicable water, energy and thermal-performance requirement.
The appropriate response depends on which part of the assessment is failing. A water shortfall may require changes to fixtures, rainwater use or landscape assumptions. An energy shortfall may relate to building services, fuel selections or renewable generation. A thermal-performance failure generally requires review of the building envelope or thermal model.
This page does not prescribe one universal solution because the most practical response is project-specific. The purpose of the target is to identify the required outcome; design optimisation determines how that outcome can be achieved.
What happens if a project does not pass BASIX? →
Explore design optimisation and BASIX →
The project results and commitments are recorded through the BASIX application and Certificate documentation.
The Certificate identifies whether the applicable project requirements have been satisfied and lists the measures relied upon by the assessment. These can include water systems, construction specifications, glazing, insulation, hot-water systems, heating and cooling systems and renewable-energy commitments.
The numerical result should not be read without the commitments. Two projects may achieve the same score using different combinations of design measures and building systems. The commitments explain what the approved project must actually deliver.
See what is included in a BASIX Certificate →
The applicable standards vary according to location, dwelling type and development configuration.
The opposite is generally true. Higher loads indicate greater modelled heating or cooling demand.
Water, energy and thermal performance must each meet their own applicable requirements.
The thermal result is only one part of BASIX. Water and energy requirements must also be satisfied, and project-specific heating and cooling limits may still apply.
The Materials Index currently calculates and reports embodied emissions but does not apply a separate pass/fail percentage.
The Certificate commitments and coordinated plans define the measures that the project must deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions
BASIX targets are the required water, energy and thermal-performance outcomes assigned to a residential project. NSW planning documents formally describe these requirements as BASIX standards.
No. BASIX provides separate water and energy scores. Thermal performance is assessed using heating and cooling results rather than being combined into one overall percentage.
A passing score is one that meets or exceeds the standard assigned to the project. Because the required standards vary, a score should be assessed against the project-specific BASIX requirement rather than a universal statewide number.
For water and energy scores, higher is better. For heating and cooling loads, lower is generally better because it indicates less modelled demand for artificial heating or cooling.
Yes. The applicable standards can vary according to location, climate and development type. Houses and different categories of apartment buildings may also have different energy and thermal-performance requirements.
No. The project must independently satisfy the applicable water, energy and thermal-performance standards.
Not by itself. NatHERS can be used to assess thermal performance through the BASIX Simulation Method, but project-specific heating, cooling and combined-load requirements may also apply.
The BASIX Materials Index calculates and reports embodied emissions associated with entered construction materials. There is currently no separate materials emissions limit that determines whether the project passes BASIX.
Related Knowledge
Thermal Performance and BASIX in NSW →
Water Efficiency and BASIX in NSW →
Assessment note: The BASIX standards assigned to a project depend on its location, dwelling type, development configuration and applicable regulatory settings. The results shown within the BASIX Tool and Certificate should always be interpreted against the project-specific required standards.
For regulatory information, refer to the NSW Planning Portal guidance on assessment against BASIX requirements.
Last reviewed: July 2026.
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