Opinion: Time for State Govt to wake up and smell the reality of QBCC mess
Queensland’s building watchdog is a toxic basket case, but not if you listen to its minister or leadership, writes Peter Gleeson.
Peter Gleeson
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Can somebody in this Government – anybody – get their heads out of the clouds and stop pretending that everything is hunky dory at the Queensland Building and Construction Commission?
The QBCC is a rudderless, toxic basket case, but if you listened to its Minister Mick de Brenni, chairman Dick Williams or acting commissioner Richard Cassidy, there’s nothing to see here.
In fact, Mr Williams blames a small cohort of disgruntled former senior executives for sullying the QBCC’s good name.
Nonsense. Let me assure you, Dick, that while there are a number of former employees who have fled the QBCC for the sake of their mental health, there are others on the current payroll who are singing like budgies.
They email me every day, angry and wanting you to listen to them. The best thing for Queensland is a complete revamp of the QBCC. It needs a new board, a new senior executive structure and a new Minister,
Last week, Mr de Brenni announced an inquiry into the QBCC, to be led by respected businessman Jim Varghese.
Mr Varghese will be inundated with submissions from people who feel wronged. It is important that Mr Varghese look beyond the QBCC spin.
In a note to staff, Mr Cassidy said “we at the QBCC are no strangers to reform and change’’.
“I’d firstly like to acknowledge the period of change brought about through the Queensland Building Plan since 2017. Today, the regulatory role of the QBCC is far broader and it has increased powers to uphold high standards and act early to protect the interests of Queenslanders.
“Given these changes, it is both appropriate and timely to review whether the governance arrangements of the QBCC continue to reflect best regulatory practice.’’
Appropriate and timely? Who is he kidding?
The only reason this inquiry is “appropriate and timely’’ is because Queenslanders have had enough of the inept and incompetent performance of the very body set up to protect them from shonky builders.
Mr Cassidy says “the review will build on the work of the QBCC to improve procedures and systems as it transitions to becoming an insights-driven regulator’’.
Insights-driven regulator? That’s a new one. The fact is the QBCC has always been a burden for small business.
It is simply a revenue collection tool for the State Government.
Here’s an excerpt from an email written by a small-business owner. As I said, I would get a dozen of these emails a day.
“I run a small fire services testing business specialising in wet fire system. We employ five people full time plus various other subcontractors and suppliers. This has been a successful business for 21 years. About 18 years ago and despite that fact I am a trade licensed plumber, trade licensed fire sprinkler fitter and after five years of post- trade study at TAFE to get a hydraulic (fire) services designer qualifications, we had to pay to get the QBCC contractors licensing’ registration. Every year we must submit certificates of insurance to prove to the QBCC that the company has Professional Indemnity Insurance.
“The insurance is around $27,000 a year. As a bonus we must pay our accountant around $2000 a year to do a special financial company statement for the QBCC. The financial company statement version we pay the accountant to do for the ATO and ACIS is not in the suitable format for the QBCC. For this the company gets a plastic card to state I have an occupational license.’’
How is this “building on the work of the QBCC to improve procedures and systems’’?
Here’s an insight-driven message for Mr Varghese. Just blow the joint up. Thousands of Queenslanders will rejoice.
