NSW and Victorian regulators collaborate to enhance construction industry standards

Building Commission NSW has recently hosted a delegation from the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) in Sydney, focusing on sharing regulatory insights and innovations to improve the construction industry. The two-day event included discussions led by VBA Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner, Anna Cronin, on how NSW regulates the building of residential homes, apartments, boarding houses, and aged care facilities through robust legislative powers.

The meeting highlighted NSW’s approach to disciplining breaches, including the use of Stop Work and Building Work Rectification Orders to protect owners and occupiers from serious defects. A site visit to a Class 2 residential apartment project in Rosebery was part of the agenda, alongside an introduction to the Commission’s newly released Defects Library. This tool is designed to aid developers, builders, and certifiers in identifying potential issues early and enhancing industry capabilities.

The collaboration provided a platform for both authorities to exchange research and intelligence on various industry challenges, including defect resolution costs, regulatory successes, and prevailing industry pressures and trends. This visit builds on previous successful interactions in 2022, where VBA shared its flammable cladding program experience, which subsequently informed NSW’s Project Remediate to replace flammable materials in buildings.

David Chandler, NSW Building Commissioner, expressed enthusiasm about the ongoing partnership: “Building Commission NSW is committed to working with all government agencies to learn and share best practices to uplift developers, builders, and certifiers with nation-leading regulation,” he stated. “By sharing what we know and being open to listening to our fellow regulators, we can adapt to trends and make more informed decisions on our mission to improve industry compliance, protect consumers, and pioneer nation-leading regulation.”

Anna Cronin also highlighted the importance of the collaboration: “It’s crucial that the VBA maintains strong and productive relationships and shares data and trends with our fellow regulators so we can improve the building system in Victoria,” she noted. “Today was a great opportunity to see how building regulation is managed in NSW and how the regulator handles non-compliance.”

For more information on the regulation of the NSW and Victorian building industries, visit their respective websites.