The NSW Building Commissioner and NSW Fair Trading are to have their powers bolstered this year to protect homeowners and workers better as industry reforms are expanded to include more buildings.
Announcing the move, the Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Victor Dominello said the Commissioner and Fair Trading’s new and expanded powers would come into effect from 1 July.
“The Design and Building Practitioners Act and Residential Apartment Buildings Act have ensured comprehensive oversight of design and building work in NSW, with strong powers to order rectification of substandard work,” Mr Dominello said.
“These changes which came into effect in 2020 for apartment buildings are being extended to include other types of buildings where people live and work, including shared accommodation, hostels, boarding houses and residential aged care,” he said.
“The Shergold Weir Building Confidence Report made it clear quality of work was an industry-wide issue and within a year the NSW Government started the Construct NSW reform to restore confidence in the industry.”
Mr Dominello said consumers also had the power to check the trustworthiness of builders, developers, certifiers and consultants with an online independent Construction Industry Ratings Tool (iCIRT).
“Decennial liability insurance is an available protection covering the cost of serious defects for up to 10 years and means a problem such as a structural crack or waterproofing issue can be fixed as quickly as it is found,” the Minister said.
“This insurance is optional but we are urging buyers and renters to ask if their building is covered to give them additional peace of mind.”
Further information on the iCIRT can be accessed at this PS News link.
