June 19, 2013
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has welcomed the announcement of a reform of Queensand’s building regulations.
The Queensland Building Services Authority (BSA) will cease to exist at the end of 2013 when the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is established.
The QBCC will be overseen by a professional governance board which will report directly to Housing and Public Works Minister Tim Mander.
Divisions for licensing and regulation, dispute resolution and review and the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme will be firewalled from each other to ensure accountability and improve governance.
“This has been a long time coming and I congratulate the Minister on this announcement,” Mrs Frecklington said.
Mrs Frecklington has been a strong advocate for better building regulation since her election.
The changes are the result of a Parliamentary Committee review held into the performance and operation of the BSA last year.
The review unearthed serious faults with the BSA, prompting the Committee to make 41 recommendations for improvement including a complete overhaul of the building regulator.
South Burnett business owner, Darrin Kefford, says he supports the reform of the BSA – especially if it helps protect sub-contractors.
“Currently there is no safety blanket for sub-contractors if builders or developers go into administration. So I hope to see the reform recognises some protection for sub-contractors in the future,” he said.
“Breaking up the roles into three governing committees would also be a good move, along with a reform to the fee structure.”.
Other changes announced by the government include:
- Improved certification processes to reduce defects and subsequent QCAT disputes
- Introducing rapid dispute adjudication during construction, and
- Improving licensing and contract conditions
Mrs Frecklington said the announcement was “a significant step” and “a great result for our local building industry and homeowners.”
Further information on the government’s Ten Point Action Plan for the BSA can be found on the Queensland Parliament website (1.4Mb pdf).
