Industry baffled as NSW building commissioner David Chandler quits job

A building industry veteran whose job is to tackle shoddy developers has made a sudden and unexpected move.

The NSW construction watchdog has abruptly quit his job just months after extending his contract.

Building commissioner David Chandler has tendered his resignation with no immediate explanation as to why he resigned.

The building industry veteran was hired by former premier Gladys Berejiklian in August 2019 to be the state’s first building commissioner.

His job is to protect homeowners against shoddy developers and he has the power to investigate and take disciplinary action against builders who misbehave.

He will continue working until November 30.

NSW building commissioner David Chandler has tendered his resignation. Picture: Toby Zerna

Mr Chandler’s appointment came in the wake of the Opal Tower and Mascot Towers scandals, where brand new apartment buildings were found to be cracked.

As recently as April, Mr Chandler told an industry event he was keen to continue in the job.

“I really was set on going fishing on September 30 and then I heard that a whole bunch of (developers) had already ordered champagne for a party on October 1,” he said, according to the website Urban Developer.

“And I thought, wouldn't it be fun to give them a reason to put the champagne back in the cabinet.”

Labor’s better regulation spokeswoman, Courtney Houssos, said many in the building industry were baffled by the resignation.

She said Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos would have to explain the move.

“I'm calling on the Minister to publicly explain the reasons for his dramatic departure,” Ms Houssos said.

“Who will be responsible for spearheading the government's response in his absence? Why did the government’s hand-picked person leave so abruptly?”

Ms Petinos said Mr Chandler, in his time as commissioner, had helped “achieve significant reforms in the residential construction sector”.

She gave him credit for helping develop a program known as “project remediate”, aimed at phasing out combustible building cladding of the type associated with the UK’s Grenfell Tower disaster.

“I thank him for his work and wish him well in his future endeavours,” Ms Petinos said.

“The building commissioner is an employee of the secretary of the Department of Customer Service, and has a direct reporting line to the secretary.

“Mr Chandler’s contract was due to expire in June this year, however a short-term extension was agreed to with the Secretary.

“The Department of Customer Service will commence the process to recruit a new Building Commissioner in due course.”

The news comes as the federal government prepares to axe the office of the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke told the ABC‘s Insiders program on Sunday the ABCC’s powers would be stripped to a “bare legal minimum”.

The federal Labor Party has been critical of the ABCC for enforcing “ridiculous” rules seen as anti-union.

“We will no longer be spending taxpayers’ money determining what sticker someone’s allowed to put on their helmet, whether or not a safety sign has to be pulled down because it’s got a union logo in the bottom corner, or what flag might be flying at a building site,” Mr Burke said.

Originally published as Industry baffled as NSW building commissioner David Chandler quits job