Page 3849 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
repairs assessed and that work can get started as soon as there is a suitable time for both the tenant and the total facilities management team to get in and do that work.
Building—licensing of trades
MR MILLIGAN: My question is to the minister for building quality. Building quality is and has been an ongoing problem for many Canberrans over many years. In New South Wales carpenters must be licensed. Must carpenters be licensed in the ACT and, if not, why not?
MS VASSAROTTI: I thank the member for the question. Licensing is a significant issue we have been looking at in the ACT as well as working with colleagues in building ministers’ meetings for some time. It was really good to have a significant piece of work undertaken, the report Building Confidence, which looked at building quality issues more generally, and licensing and registration were key issues in relation to that.
In terms of the national work that has been happening, we have been working with the ABC board in order to develop a framework for registration of a range of professions. In the ACT, builders are required to be licensed, and we are looking at a range of other registrations, particularly engineer registration as a priority project that we need to be working through. We are looking at sub-trades licensing as part of that process, and we are through that program in consultation with industry right now.
Mrs Jones: Carpenters?
MS VASSAROTTI: My understanding is that if they are builders they will be licensed, and there will be some sub-licensing. But I will take the specifics of what level of licensing carpenters are covered by on notice.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, are there any other trades the ACT does not require a licence to operate but that New South Wales do?
MS VASSAROTTI: I thank the member for the question. There are differences in the licensing requirements across states and territories. That is a key element being looked at through the registration framework we are looking at nationally. Work is also happening around automatic mutual recognition and ensuring consistency across jurisdictions.
Mrs Jones: For which trades.
MS VASSAROTTI: There are a range of trades. A range of trades have different requirements, and I will take the detail on notice and provide that to the member because it is quite detailed.
MR PARTON: Minister, to what extent has this government’s licensing regime contributed to the building quality crisis in the ACT?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video