The implementation of reforms to building and construction standards needs to be aggressively advanced, according to the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA).
Speaking following a meeting of construction industry leaders in Brisbane yesterday, UDIA National Executive Director Connie Kirk said the Shergold-Weir report on building standards provided a sound framework.
“There is a clear and compelling case to lifting standards, offering clarity to professionals working across the construction industry and rebuilding consumer confidence,” says Connie Kirk.
“The Shergold-Weir report provided a framework to guide governments, regulators and the industry through the reform process.
“The most recent meeting of the Building Ministers Forum in July offered hope that a serious effort would be taken to improve building standards via better compliance and enforcement.
“We now need to see progress on the reform agenda, otherwise we risk being left with a patchwork response that undercuts consumer confidence,” she says.
“The bulk of the legislative and regulatory heavy-lifting will fall to the states and territories, but we need every tier of government to maintain a focus on driving change.
“The vast bulk of developers do the right thing and want to be partners to reform, and ensure we close the door to bad apples that fail to act in good faith and deliver the quality product that consumers expect.”