Page 471 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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continue to surface. The anxiety of affected owners caused by costly litigation, out-of-pocket expenses, uncertainty and despair is reaching crisis proportions. In many cases the lifelong savings of owners are jeopardised by poor building quality. Minister, what immediate steps will you take to stem any further emotional and financial damage being inflicted on property owners by poor quality building?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Lawder for the question. It is an important question. I am happy to say that this government continues its action not only in terms of its regulatory oversight and its compliance. I again draw Ms Lawder’s attention to the establishment of the rapid regulatory response team, which is able to ensure that inspectors, people who are well qualified, are able to attend to matters very quickly to see whether they can be resolved before a formal complaint is lodged or whether that can be escalated to a further matter. I notice that—
Ms Lawder: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, the question was about stemming further emotional and financial damage to those people who are already experiencing shoddy building, not about the steps to be put in place for future building. It is about those people who are already affected.
Mr Gentleman: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, the minister has been answering the question. Members can only ask the question once. Continually interrupting the minister when the minister is being relevant is disorderly. They keep repeating the question when they are only able to ask it once. It has been happening right through question time.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Gentleman. Ms Lawder’s question was about what immediate steps are occurring. Minister, you had made reference to the rapid response team. You may add to that in the time you have left.
MR RAMSAY: For those people who have suffered when buildings are not of the quality that we would expect to have in the ACT and who therefore may be experiencing different forms of concern, whether emotional or other concerns, one of the things we want to be able to do is respond to those very quickly. That is why we established the rapid regulatory response team.
Mr Coe: What is the response?
MR RAMSAY: The response is to get people out when they notice that things are of a quality that they do not—(Time expired.)
MS LAWDER: Minister, what actions will you take to assist those people already affected by poor oversight of building quality?
MR RAMSAY: For those people who are already affected by a building that is not of the quality that we expect to have here in the ACT, the best thing that we can do for them is make it so that, as their complaints are raised, we get out to them very quickly with the people who can inspect and who can negotiate with them how it is that matters can be resolved. That is why we have established the rapid regulatory response team. That is why I will continue to work with Access Canberra to make
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