The state’s first ever dedicated building regulator, Building Commission NSW, has officially opened its doors today.
The Government says the newly established agency, led by Commissioner David Chandler OAM (pictured), will lift the existing Office of the Building Commissioner out of NSW Fair Trading to give staff dedicated resources and a clear focus on the building sector.
“In recent years we’ve heard horror stories about defects in apartment buildings but we’re turning the tide with Building Commission NSW,” said Premier, Chris Minns.
“The Building Commissioner has made a start restoring integrity, now we’ve given him the powers and resources he needs to get on with the job.”
Minister for Building, Anoulack Chanthivong said delivering a standalone regulator was a key election promise of the Government, ensuring builders and the homes they construct in NSW are compliant, safe and durable.
“Building Commission NSW will turbocharge our work to restore trust and integrity in the building sector,” he said.
“Buying a home is the great Australian dream, Building Commission NSW will help make sure it doesn’t turn into a nightmare.”
The change means NSW will go from just 40 staff dedicated to enforcing quality and standards in the building industry to more than 400.
Funded by a $24 million down payment in the NSW Budget, Building Commission NSW aims to be a one-stop-shop for regulation, licensing and oversight of the sector.
“The Commission’s team comprises amazing, talented and committed people,” said Commissioner Chandler.
“It will be my privilege to lead this next phase of delivering the trusted housing that the state’s community desperately needs.
“When I started this work everyone was driving towards the bottom of quality, now we are all working towards the top and Urban Property is a great example.”
Today also marks the official completion of Parq in Bexley, the first building in Australia to be covered by Decennial Liability Insurance (DLI), a decade-long guarantee against serious defects.
Parq’s builder Urban Property has also announced that DLI will be rolled out across all future projects.
Owners in buildings covered by DLI can make a claim to get defects repaired for up to a decade after completion, whether their builder is still operating or not.
NSW is the first state in the nation to offer decennial liability insurance and the NSW Government recently passed laws to encourage more builders to sign up and protect buyers.
