Construct NSW has achieved a lot over the last year - now to the next 8 months

This week the NSW Office of Building Commissioner, the BRD regulator team and the 6-Pillar Steering Group took time to reflect on what has been achieved in the last year and to refresh the roadmap ahead. Perhaps the greatest achievement so far, has been establishing a shared resolve to build the foundations for a customer facing and measurably more able industry amongst all the key players. The past year has not been without its challenges as the focus shifts from risky to trusted. This is all about changing culture and capability.

Over the last 3-months preparing to implement the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act, known as the RAB Act has prevailed. This new Act puts customer interests at the centre of our work. The RAB powers are focused on creating early awareness of the changes being made in NSW to raise standards, increase accountability and intervene when serious defects may be avoided or need to be remediated. The video link here, provides an overview of the early RAB Act implementation so far.

Our focus now shifts to the implementation of the Design and Building Practitioner's Act which will commence from the 1st July 2021. There are links to this legislation in the article just posted below. Developer attention is drawn to the model terms resource included here. These are suggested terms that developers moving to engage designers and constructors for class 2 residential buildings in NSW should consider and take apropriate advice about. This article expands the conversation around trusted players and trustworthy buildings. It is now evident that there is a growing interest in the potential benefits of becoming a trusted player.

Across NSW, the winds of change are blowing. Especially for those players who run the risk of being left in the untrusted bucket in a year or two from now. The conversation around Your brand is your asset is now intensifying. For those players who have had a less than trustworthy past, there is some serious reckoning to do. Becoming trusted for those who have not made or started this journey will be challenging. Achieving a trustworthy status could take 2 or more years. These players will need to rethink their past practices, show a genuine resolve to deliver trustworthy buildings and where they have contributed to buildings with serious defects in the past, display the efforts they will make to address them.

The Building Regulator has also commenced a journey to refresh its past business model. The Design and Building Practitioner's Act requires the regulator to present its future business model to the parliament in March 2022. The regulator will be enabled by a digital transformation investment that will join up powerful data pools and realtime inputs. The business model will consider the residual and changing nature of harms that may affect the industry and its customers in the near future. These considerations will take into account the anticipated changes in the construction supply chain that will reshape business as usual. The latest McKinsey, the next normal in construction materials distribution provides a good context for all regulators, as they look beyond their traditional jurisdictional approaches.

Construct NSW is the name that the NSW government has adopted to lead a 6 Pillar reform program now being implemented with the support of over 125 industry stakeholders. In addition, 7 young constructors are voicing their aspirations for the industry they would like to be part of leading. A central focus of the working groups is investigating the areas where the industry has capability gaps across the professional and technical landscape today, and how to address them - fast. Our approach is to work with industry, professional bodies and educators to map the likely changes that will define the future needs and career pathways of construction professionals in the short to medium term. We have formed a partnership with TAFE NSW to build a learning marketplace that will enable our ability to rapidly facilitate new learning content that can be shared by all educators, industry and players.

Today was a milestone for the Pilar 3 - Building Industry Capability work. Ministers Kevin Anderson and Geoff Lee officially launched this initiative this morning. Exciting progress.

There remains a lot to do, to both reform and embed the culture and capabilities that a modern NSW construction industry will need to rebuild the industry's brand longterm. Notwithstanding, there is already a positive growing momentum of confidence amongst industry players and consumers, that NSW is on track to deliver trustworthy buildings from here on. We acknowledge the efforts and resolve of so many to help make this happen.

Please follow the regular news that is now available on the NSW Building Commissioner's web site. Hear from the many stakeholders helping to deliver the Construct NSW industry reform program. Stay abreast of important updates on legislation and related information.

David Chandler OAM - NSW Building Commissioner