Page 877 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2018
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the ACT building regulatory system. The amendments further outline the ACT government’s immediate priorities to develop and improve codes of practice for builders and building certifiers and deliver reform in minimum documentation guidelines and builders licensing reforms. The amendment calls on the ACT government to report back to the Assembly on the status of implementation of these reforms and to keep the community updated on the progress of this issue.
It is important that we set adequate building regulatory frameworks for our growing city. The growth of our city means that there is a lot of new development around Canberra. We need to continue to ensure that there is high quality construction of buildings for new Canberrans to live and work in. Setting high expectations when it comes to building quality helps to ensure that tenants are safe. It also ensures that those who work within the construction industry are operating in a safe working environment.
This is an issue that has been raised with me by constituents in my electorate of Murrumbidgee. Building standards will be particularly important as we see the growth in the greenfield suburbs of Molonglo and in urban renewal areas in town centres, particularly in high density residential development. Ensuring that we have a strong regulatory framework around building standards is vital to ensure that we have resilient buildings in our city and to provide confidence in new construction as well. That is why it is so important that there is community input as we reform building construction regulations. Receiving feedback from developers, landlords, buyers, tenants and the broader community is valuable to inform ongoing work.
Of course, the ACT government is already working to improve building regulations and implementing reforms to the building and construction industry. The government has already passed the Building and Construction Legislation Amendment Act 2016, which implements and establishes the foundation for the suggested reforms arising from the review of the ACT building regulatory system. And we have made reforms to licensing laws and changes to give more options to building regulators and ACAT to use the tools available when things do go wrong.
This amendment to the motion calls upon the ACT government to ensure that these reforms are implemented within a realistic time frame. Mr Parton’s suggestion for all remaining reforms to be implemented by no later than 31 December this year would be a disservice to the industry. It would be a disservice to those who are working to ensure that meaningful reforms and long-lasting change can be properly implemented. These are extensive and thorough reforms. They will take some time to implement and they are fundamental to the building industry. This amendment recognises that fact and reaffirms the ACT government’s commitment to working with the industry and relevant stakeholders to ensure that there are overarching and meaningful reforms.
It will also be beneficial to have a concurrent inquiry into the building regulatory framework. We should invite the community to make submissions about the state of the building and construction quality that we are seeing in Canberra. This will help us to deliver thoroughly informed and lasting change in the industry and improve building construction practices and compliance.
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