In recent industry briefings, the newly appointed Building Commissioner has indicated that the building legislation reform bills are back on the agenda, with a view to their introduction to NSW Parliament later this year.
Readers will recall that in 2022, the NSW Government issued a suite of draft reforming legislation for public consultation, comprising:
- Building Bill 2022
- Building Compliance and Enforcement Bill 2022
- Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2022.
After the public consultation period closed in November 2022, the reforms entered a lengthy internal review process, except for the Building Legislation Amendment Bill, which was passed in a pared back form in December 2023, notably removing many of the amendments it had proposed to the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (SOP Act) (see our article for more analysis).
The content of the remaining bills, post consultation and review, remains to be seen, as does whether the reforms to the SOP Act, removed from the Building Legislation Amendment Act 2023 will emerge as part of the remaining bills.
The remaining bills did not propose to nibble around the edge of reform, rather, they imagined a new industry in NSW, including, for example, universal (sector agnostic) contractor licensing.
These changes will demand the attention and engagement of the industry as the year progresses.
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.
