The Victorian Government is delivering more protections for Victorian home buyers – replacing the Victorian Building Authority with a new more powerful watchdog.
The new Building and Plumbing Commission will oversee building and plumbing industries across the state, with tough new powers to protect Victorian families – and their homes. These powers include:
- directing builders to fix substandard work before and after occupants move in. The Victorian Government will work with industry to define the eligible time period
- preventing apartments with serious defects from being sold
- increased reporting requirements before occupancy certificates are signed off on new builds.
The watchdog will be resourced with new boots on the ground, with a 50 per cent increase in auditors and front-line inspectors, as part of a $63.3 million investment in this year’s Budget.
The watchdog will also be tasked with leading an inspection blitz, including a crackdown on unregistered building and plumbing work.
Victorians will have better access to insurance if things go wrong – eliminating the need for complex and costly legal claims against builders who do the wrong thing.
Apartment buyers will also have stronger financial protection, with developers required to provide a bond to cover the cost of fixing poor work for buildings over three storeys. The new bond will be the first step towards introducing a new 10-year insurance product for apartment buildings, with next steps to be developed in consultation with an industry working group.
Further changes will be made to dispute resolution processes as part of the transition to the Building and Plumbing Commission, creating more certainty for Victorians and industry, and more streamlined pathways to resolve disputes.
The Victorian Government is also working with industry and consumer groups on reforms to ensure the rules around domestic building contracts are clear and fair, with legislative change expected in 2025.
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