Building Ministers Forum – Important News Update

30 April 2018

The first Building Minister’s Forum (BMF) for the year was held in Melbourne on Thursday 26 April 2018.  The BMF had previously commissioned a major investigation by Professor Peter Shergold AC and Ms Bronwyn Weir on the compliance and enforcement issues currently facing the building and construction industry in Australia and their report was presented to the Ministers at the meeting.

Titled ‘Building Confidence – Improving the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement systems for the building and construction industry across Australia,’ the Shergold Weir Report presents a comprehensive analysis of the current issues facing our industry with recommendations for the future.  It also contains important recommendations for the profession of building surveying.

Included in the recommendations is a national best practice model to strengthen the effective implementation of the National Construction Code. The 24 recommendations that comprise the model derive from the authors’ assessment of the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement systems for the building and construction industry across Australia.

Given the report was only publicly released on Friday, the AIBS Board has not yet reviewed it in full.   However, on initial review, AIBS is pleased to note that many of the recommendations contained in the Report are closely aligned to those in AIBS Policy – Building Regulatory Reform in Australia. The report also refers to AIBS throughout.

To assist members who may not have time to read the BMF Communique and the Shergold Weir Report, we have highlighted in the document below some key areas that may impact on building surveyors. However, it should be noted that these are currently recommendations to the BMF and we will monitor further developments. The BMF Communique and the Shergold Weir Report are also available to download below.