The ACT Government is introducing new building certification reforms to provide even greater protections to the community and lift building quality standards.
Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction Rebecca Vassarotti said the new reforms deliver on the government's commitment to reducing building defects and improving accountability in the building and construction industry.
"When Canberrans buy or rent a home, they should be able to demand the best from those who built them," Minister Vassarotti said.
"Over recent years, high profile cases of poor development have undermined the trust of Canberrans in the home building industry. Dodgy development choices are estimated to have cost Canberrans more than $50 million each year.
"I'm pleased to share that in a new suite of reforms, the ACT Government will be employing a team of trained professionals within Access Canberra to review building design documents for quality assurance and attend mandatory inspections at each stage in the construction process.
"This team will initially be focussed on the more complex high rise apartment buildings, expanding out to other residential buildings over time.
"These reforms will support private building surveyors to identify defects as early as possible in the design and construction process, where defects can be fixed at lower costs while professionals and trades are still engaged and on-site.
"In many cases, this will put the onus of fixing defects onto developers in the construction phase meaning Canberrans won't be shafted with a dodgy house once they've moved into it.
"Building surveyors play a significant role in the regulatory oversight of the building and construction industry by verifying building quality and compliance with the National Construction Code.
"Over this term of government, the ACT Government has progressed several significant building reforms that aim to reduce building defects and improve consumer protections.
"Already, our developer licensing reforms have removed any incentive for cosy deals between developers and certifiers because they will now be held personally liable for dodgy construction work.
"The reforms also work alongside recent changes to the ACT planning system and funding of additional positions within Access Canberra to check compliance with planning rules, including for single dwellings and audits of exempt developments," said Minister Vassarotti.
These changes will be made through the Building (General) Regulation 2008 and will commence from 1 July 2025 to allow a suitable transition time to recruit the team and support industry to transition to the new requirements.
