The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) needs to operate as a best practice, balanced and robust regulator. Currently, it does not resolve issues in a timely and fair manner. Many of its regulatory decisions are misaligned with its governing legislation. It has a long history of failing to hold licensed subcontractors to account when they carry out defective work.
The impact is an unwarranted burden on industry, both in direct dealings with the regulator, and in undermining community confidence.
The building industry regulator can be transformed through immediate operational change and longer-term strategic and structural reform to become a more dynamic, transparent and risk-based regulator that is focused on its core regulatory functions supported by industry-experienced staff.
What we are going to work to deliver
Advocacy with government:
Operational Change
- 1. Licensed contractor accountability across the contractual chain, including holding licensed subcontractors accountable where they carry out defective work.
- 2. Regulatory decisions and processes aligned with the governing legislation, including the legislation governing building. Decision-making must be based on the law and building codes, and not opinion.
- 3. Consistent, fair and reasonable decision-making and investigative practices that use due process, including a return to the process where a licensee would be given a period of time to fix a deemed defect before a direction to rectify is issued.
- 4. Regulatory outcomes are proportionate to the harm to be addressed.
- 5. Customer service accountability through response targets.
Regulatory Reform
- 6. Correct the timing of payment under the Home Warranty Scheme.
- 7. Cease the duplication of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland functions.
- 8. Allow monies held in project and retention trust accounts to be included in Minimum Financial Requirements.
- 9. Improve pathways for skills recognition for overseas migrants.
- 10. Filter consumer claims to limit productivity-sapping, improper or vexatious complaints, such as requiring a small application fee for consumers to lodge a claim.
Structural Reform
- 11. Replace the QBCC commission model with an independent office holder model.
- 12. Separate the Home Warranty Scheme from the QBCC and revisit the premium structure.
Master Builders-led initiatives:
- Continue to assist members to engage with the QBCC, resolve disputes, work through the licensing system, and navigate Queensland’s building regulatory system.
Major Sponsors
