The NSW Government is standing firm on its commitment to make developers, designers and engineers lift their game and restore public confidence in the building industry, with the Government’s landmark industry reforms set to be expanded to include more buildings.

Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the NSW Building Commissioner and NSW Fair Trading will have their powers bolstered from 1 July 2023 to better protect homeowners and workers. 

“The Design and Building Practitioners Act and Residential Apartment Buildings Act have ensured comprehensive oversight of design and building work in NSW, with strong powers to order rectification of substandard work,” Mr Dominello said.

“These changes which came into effect in 2020 for apartment buildings are being extended to include other types of buildings where people live and work, including shared accommodation, hostels, boarding houses and residential aged care.

“The Shergold Weir Building Confidence Report made it clear quality of work was an industry-wide issue and within a year the NSW Government started the Construct NSW reform to restore confidence in the industry.

“We are making sure buildings are safe from the outset and any defects are fixed early to protect residents and owners from unsafe and non-compliant projects.

“Restoring confidence to the state’s construction industry has been a combined effort of industry working with the NSW Government, and we commend those industry players who have worked with us to build public confidence and support a crackdown on shoddy operators.”

Mr Dominello said consumers also have the power to check the trustworthiness of builders, developers, certifiers and consultants with an online independent construction industry ratings tool (iCIRT).

“Decennial liability insurance is an available protection covering the cost of serious defects for up to 10 years and means a problem such as a structural crack or waterproofing issue can be fixed as quickly as it is found,” Mr Dominello said.

“This insurance is optional but we are urging buyers and renters to ask if their building is covered to give them additional peace of mind.”

Find out more about the independent construction industry ratings toollaunch (iCIRT)