The Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate and Access Canberra are to produce a Builders Code of Practice together, setting out a series of important reforms to improve building quality in the Territory.
Announced by the Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Gordon Ramsay, the new Code will be a first for the ACT when it is introduced later this year.
Mr Ramsay said the new Code would set out the minimum requirements for the 3,000 licenced builders in the ACT and outline their obligations whilst carrying out or supervising work.
“The Canberra community can rightly expect that licensed builders carry out their services with reasonable care and diligence, be accountable for the staff they employ, personally inspect relevant building work and ensure it complies with building standards and approved plans,” Mr Ramsay said.
“We will be consulting with local builders and industry bodies on the Code through information sessions over the coming weeks and they will be given the opportunity to provide feedback before it is finalised.”
He said the Code would outline the builder’s responsibilities when engaging or contracting people to carry out building work; levels of supervision; critical stages to check that work is compliant with codes and standards; a process for handling client complaints; and record-keeping requirements.
He said evening information sessions would be held at 5.30pm today (15 August) at Dame Pattie Menzies House in Dickson as well as next Monday (19 August), with an additional morning session at 10am on Saturday 24 August.
Mr Ramsay said submissions could be sent to [email protected] until 20 September.
The proposed code can be viewed on the new ‘Build, Buy or Renovate’ website at this PS News link.
