Mrs JUDY HANNAN (Wollondilly) (12:30): My question is directed to the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, and Minister for Building. For more than 12 months, home purchasers have houses riddled with significant construction defects. Will the Minister explain why the Building Commission NSW and legislative reforms introduced by this Government allowed builders subject to major rectification orders and NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal [NCAT] matters to have their builder's licence renewed without restriction, and why the home owner cannot receive insurance and have another builder complete the house build?
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (12:30): I thank the member for Wollondilly for her question. She is the finest member for Wollondilly I have experienced and also my very good friend. She is also my optometrist, so she has saved me countless times from Specsavers. I also welcome former Ingleburn residents Anne and Peter Tyas. I also welcome the parents of the member for Wollongong, who are very fine folks. I thank the member for Wollondilly for her continued advocacy on the issue. The Building Commission did issue a rectification order to Glenbuilt Constructions in January this year after identifying a number of defects at Glenbuilt's site at Hill Top, a suburb in the Southern Highlands.
Like all compliance orders that are issued by the Building Commission—or any other agency—there is obviously a legal due process that must be followed. All recipients of compliance orders are afforded the opportunity to respond to those orders. On this occasion, the company that the member is referring to has exercised its right to appeal the orders that have been issued. That is now a matter before the NCAT, meaning there are ongoing legal proceedings. As the matter is currently before the tribunal, it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further because that may jeopardise those proceedings.
At the heart of the question that the good member has asked are issues about stronger compliance and stronger laws that will instill greater trust and confidence in the building and residential construction sector. After it came to office, the Minns Labor Government established the Building Commission NSW in 2023, with its central role being to rebuild trust and confidence in the residential construction sector. We have empowered the regulator with the resources and the strong legislative powers that it needs to rid the industry of irresponsible builders and to lift quality standards across the State.
In contrast, before we came to office, the Building Commission was a very small office within NSW Fair Trading. By necessity, its scope was very limited and it had a very reactive approach in its regulations. It was not fit for purpose at the time when we needed more quality homes across New South Wales. Under the stewardship of those opposite, and their lack of focus and investment in building regulation, the commission's strategy was very reactive: It waited for serious defects to emerge before actually acting. [Extension of time]
The SPEAKER: I place the member for Oatley on three calls to order.
Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG: That is why we delivered our commitment to transform the commission from what was essentially a one-man band under those opposite to a focused, specialist regulator with a headcount of over 450, working every single day to ensure that the homes people have invested in are built to the highest standard. The commission has the resources and the strategic direction. Its compliance activity is proactive, data-driven and intelligent when conducting "anytime, anywhere" compliance inspections. As the phrase suggests, Building Commission inspectors go out anytime, anywhere, unannounced to building sites to ensure that builders are doing the right thing. They do not need to go to every single site, but the risk intelligence that the Building Commission uses ensures that the resources are utilised effectively and efficiently, which means stronger compliance, more effective regulation, stronger enforcement and, inevitably, better results for the people of New South Wales.
The results speak for themselves. We have doubled the number of investigations. Penalty infringement notices have increased significantly to $4.3 million in the last financial year, showing that the compliance action of the Building Commission NSW is working effectively, instilling a level of trust and confidence in the sector that was missing when those opposite were in government. The Building Commission is focusing on not just metropolitan Sydney; it is also out in rural and regional New South Wales. Whether in the North Coast, the Mid North Coast, Wollongong, the Hunter, the Central Coast, the Riverina, the Murray or the Central West, inspections happen anytime, anywhere. That is the focus of what it means to be an effective building regulator, using data intelligence and issuing significant fines to ensure that we continue to bring trust and confidence back to the sector. That is what this Government has delivered to build more quality homes for the people of New South Wales.
