Page 868 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
of payments legislation and to take into account recent reviews and inquiries, including the report by the Senate Economics References Committee on insolvency.
We thought it best not to continue with reviewing the same inquiries and legislation until the national review was complete. We have postponed work on the relevant reforms until the findings are available to us for consideration. We expect this will be shortly, but it is up to the Australian government. When we have the findings, we will see how they may align with or affect our proposed reforms. We will also need to consider whether there is work that is best undertaken in collaboration with other jurisdictions.
In addition to this, in June 2017 the Building Ministers Forum agreed to commission an assessment of compliance and enforcement problems affecting the implementation of the national construction code, which includes the building code. The Building Ministers Forum is made up of ministers with responsibility for building policy from each state and territory and the Australian government. As I have mentioned, these issues are not just ours. No-one is unfairly singling out the ACT building industry. The scope of this review also overlaps with our reform program. It includes competency, licensing and accreditation, accuracy of design and documentation, quality control and assurance and certification and inspections, as well as auditing and enforcement.
While we have continued to work on our reforms, we have participated in good faith in the national assessment and tried not to pre-empt any recommendations. Like the security of payments review, we will see how the recommendations may align with or affect our proposed reforms and whether there is work that we have underway that will be incorporated in the new national work.
As Mr Parton acknowledged, the reforms will make a major contribution to strengthening regulation in the industry. But, more than that, they will help to lift skills and knowledge in the industry, and that is critical. This is not just a government problem. It is not only government’s obligation to make sure buildings and practitioners comply; it is the obligation of every person who holds a licence, everyone involved in the design and construction of buildings and everyone educating and training practitioners. People need to take responsibility for their own work.
I am pleased that the motion confirms that industry bodies agree that substantial and fundamental improvements are needed, and they strongly support strengthening standards and clamping down on shoddy builders. I look forward to their continued support as further reforms are rolled out. I also look forward to their support for reforms applying equally to everyone in the industry and when action is taken against industry members whose work and practices just are not good enough.
It will take some time to implement all of the reforms, and it will take time to see results across the whole industry. As a commitment to this important work, the ACTÂ government has allocated funds to assist in recruiting specialist resources to assist with this work. Unfortunately, while this is happening we may continue to see problems emerge with buildings already designed and constructed. Some of the recent media attention relates to defects in buildings built over a decade ago. We will need to
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video