24 AUGUST 2020
A week before his new powers come into force, NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler has issued a blunt warning to certifiers of buildings that the days of a small group of them choosing to act as “signatures for sale” are over.
Mr Chandler will have the power from September 1 to enter and inspect building sites, prevent the issuing of occupation certificates, call for documents and order work to be stopped.
The Association of Accredited Certifiers said all practitioners from builders and designers to tradespeople and certifiers had a responsibility to ensure quality outcomes. “If all practitioners are accountable for the work they produce, this will drive better outcomes for consumers,” the association’s chief executive, Jill Brookfield, said.
The Owners Corporation Network, which is the peak body for apartment owners, welcomed the commissioner’s new powers, arguing the government’s previous “carrot approach failed dismally”. “The new site audits, and the ability to prohibit the issue of an occupation certificate if works are deemed unsatisfactory, will be a powerful motivator for improved practices,” the group’s executive officer, Karen Stiles, said.
> Full article on the Sydney Morning Herald
Matt O’Sullivan