Fast track reforms to stop shonky developers during crisis: Labor

NSW Labor says new building laws must be in place before a planned infrastructure spree to stimulate the crisis-hit economy.

The Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park, which was evacuated on Christmas Eve 2018 after cracks appeared in key support structures, prompting a review of NSW construction standards. Picture: David Swift.

The NSW government is being urged to bring forward debate on its landmark construction sector reforms when parliament resumes for special sessions in May to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

NSW Labor has written to the Berejiklian government requesting that its building reforms be brought forward as a matter of priority due to large-scale building works earmarked for the coming months.

Both houses of NSW parliament are expected to sit on Tuesday, May 12, to debate various measures and adjustments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-pandemic matters have been put on hold until parliament resumes at an unscheduled date later in the year.

“With the Berejiklian government touting construction and infrastructure projects as one of the most important economic stimulus measures, it is absolutely necessary long-awaited building reforms are debated as soon as possible,” said Labor’s deputy leader Yasmin Catley.

“Confidence in the building sector is at an all-time low and this legislation is critical to

restoring confidence in the sector.”

The reforms, originally flagged last year, are slated to provide substantial oversight powers to the NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler, to broadly prevent low-skilled operators from erecting unworthy projects.

The Australian reported in January that these powers would include giving the regulator the capability to block suspect developers from erecting high-rise units; Mr Chandler would also be able to rank builders according to a quality-rating regime that would be informed by their record on workplace safety, customer complaints, the age of their business, financial credibility, suspicions of phoenixing, and dozens of other metrics.

“Those who cut corners, cut costs, those who will sign a contract and start skimming off the top — they know who they are. The good developers in this city and state want them gone,” said Better Regulation Minister, Kevin Anderson, in January.

A high number of “shovel-ready” projects have been earmarked to proceed across NSW as a means of stimulating productivity and keeping people employed.

The building reforms chiefly concern the residential apartment space, not state-significant and civil projects, a government official said.

They were originally scheduled to be debated in late February but, like other bills, they were put on hold due to the COVID-19 crisis. Originally put up for debate last year, the bill was revoked in November due to criticisms from Labor and the Greens about aspects of the reforms.

“Without legislation, the Building Commissioner has no power. We need boots on the

ground now to keep the shonky operators at bay during this crisis,” Ms Catley said.

Labor’s leader in the upper house, Adam Searle, wrote to the government late last week requesting that it specifically deal with the reform bill, known as the Design and Building Practitioners’ Bill, due to the earmarked construction work.

“We are ready to continue debating the Design and Building Practitioner’s Bill and

any other new building related bills in the Legislative Council,” he said.

“With the Berejiklian government saying it will ‘fast-track’ infrastructure projects,

including residential construction, it is absolutely critical there are no further delays

and we get the best outcome for the people of NSW on this issue or we will repeat

the mistakes of the past.”