David Chandler OAM appointed NSW Building Commissioner

The NSW Government has announced the appointment of building and construction expert Mr David Chandler OAM as NSW Building Commissioner, as part of the key reforms arising from the Building Stronger Foundations Discussion Paper.

Mr Chandler's appointment was made having regard to his over 40 years' experience in the building industry. Notably, Mr Chandler is an adjunct professor in construction management, was employed as the Construction Director of Parliament House in Canberra and has been awarded an Order of Australia medal in 1989 for his services to the industry.

Mr Chandler's role commenced on 14 August 2019.

The Building Commissioner will be responsible for investigating misconduct within the building industry, overseeing disciplinary action, managing licensing and auditing, and driving legislative reforms. Further details of the purpose and roles of the Building Commissioner can be found in our previous article here.

The reforms the Building Commissioner is intended to drive include the introduction of:

  • the mandatory registration of building practitioners
  • a new industry-wide principle of duty of care
  • ensuring all buildings comply with the Building Code of Australia.

Further details of these proposed reforms can be found in our previous article here.

Notwithstanding the enormity of his reform tasks, the real challenge for the Building Commissioner may be resources. Given the role is only supported by a secretariat and not by a Commission with dedicated funding allocated in the budget, NSW will have little more than an advocate for building reform for the foreseeable future, and no way of overcoming the inertia and lack of resourcing inherent in the current fragmented system.

This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.