Defective homes in the sights of building watchdog with $145m budget boost

The NSW Building Commissioner has seen the worst of the worst from concrete poured in the wrong spot to instalment of unusable taps – now he has $145m to take on bad builders.

James Sherrard, NSW Building Commissioner, has been given a $145-million war chest to take on dodgy developers. Picture: John Appleyard

A bathroom renovation that included taps being installed so close to a wall they could not be turned on and a house with a slab poured in the “wrong spot” and so uneven that the walls did not align.

These are some examples of the dodgy work NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard has seen since taking on the top job – and wants to stamp out.

And in a move that he says will help him do the job, the this week’s Budget will include $145 million to empower the building watchdog in its work, including being able to embark on joint taskforces with agencies such as Fair Trading, ASIC and the NSW State Coroner.

Speaking exclusively to The Saturday Telegraph, Mr Sherrard said the funding would ensure the agency could continue in its work in weeding out and prosecuting dodgy players while also educating others.

A supplied image of uneven tiling in Chipping Norton. Picture Supplied.

The allocation follows a recent compliance crackdown conducted at 15 housings sites in Liverpool, Casula and Lurnea in southwestern Sydney in April identified 32 offences, including non-compliant electrical work.

“The most important thing with the Budget is that we have been given recurrent funding. Before it was year on year. The big message is the government is confident in what is seeing us deliver,” he said.

“As our prosecutions target more effectively, individuals who were intentionally doing the wrong thing or being cavalier are choosing to do something else with their lives. This is no longer an industry where you can get away with it.”

A supplied image an example of bathroom renovation horror in Chipping Norton. Picture: Supplied.

An example of bathroom renovation horror in Chipping Norton. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Sherrard said the funding would further help the agency go from reacting to “intelligence” to being proactive in targeting sites where there might be issues before they occur, “allowing us to put a stop work order in”.

So far this financial year, 1015 building sites have been inspected with 455 orders issued, many for water ingress and fire safety defects.

Building Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said it was critical new apartments and freestanding homes were being built to the “highest of standards”.

“This $145 million investment secures the Commission’s funding over the next four years, so it can continue on its mission to uplift and improve the quality of the residential building sector,” he said.

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Originally published as Defective homes in the sights of building watchdog with $145m budget boost