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) (12:59): I thank the member for Parramatta for her question. She is a strong advocate for her community and the recent election results clearly show that—with a 13 per cent swing in her primary vote alone. She is a great member. I am sure that everybody in this place is familiar with the expression that a person's home—or, in this case, apartment—is their castle. Whilst we may no longer need turrets or drawbridges for our castles, we do need confidence in the sector.
The people of New South Wales need confidence that their apartment blocks are built to the highest safety and construction standards. If building defects are detected, people need confidence that there is a pathway to ensure that apartment buildings are brought up to the standard we all expect. That is why the Government has decided to extend Project Intervene. Confidence in the construction sector will attract greater investment, will increase supply and will put more downward pressure on prices for property for renters and for some homebuyers.
The skyline of the Sydney metropolitan area has changed significantly over the years, with an increase in medium and higher density developments.
[An Opposition member interjected.]
In most places, not every suburb. That is why we need to ensure that people living in those apartments can be confident their buildings are safe and built to proper standard. Under Project Intervene, owners corporations can rely on the expertise of the NSW Building Commissioner to address building defects in common property. The commissioner and his team help owners corporations negotiate and mediate to rectify those defects. Project Intervene uses the powers of the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 to compel developers and builders to remediate serious defects in common property where a negotiated outcome cannot be reached. The program prevents costly and lengthy court battles between strata committees and developers. In short, the program offers financial savings to eligible apartment owners let down by poor quality construction work. This program is about the practical fix, not the legal fight.
The Government recently announced that registrations for Project Intervene will be extended to November instead of wrapping up by the end of this month, so keen is the demand for this particular program. Since the program was launched in mid-2022, about 100 owners corporations let down by developers have taken up the support provided under this program. Some 49 building inspections have been completed to complement the hundreds of inspections undertaken to prevent defects in new buildings. [Extension of time]
Project Intervene helps with repairing serious defects in common property. Some of these include waterproofing, fire safety systems, structural systems, building enclosure and building services. I am sure we all agree that these defects need strong intervention and swift and effective repair. But there is more work to be done. That is why I am proud of the Government's decision to extend Project Intervene. It means more apartment residents can be sure that their buildings are up to an acceptable standard. I encourage more owners to register for Project Intervene. Of course, the extension of Project Intervene is only one of measures that the Government is taking to increase confidence in the construction sector.
We have also announced a reform agenda to ensure that those who purchase property in New South Wales can have greater confidence in the quality of work done. First, by creating the State's first building commission: a single body to oversee the regulation, licensing and oversight of the industry to ensure the New South Wales building regulator has the powers and the capabilities it needs to restore confidence in the construction sector. Second, by creating a new building Act that will consolidate and modernise the many pieces of legislation, some of which are decades old, scattered throughout the State's statute books.
There is no doubt that New South Wales is experiencing a shortage of housing supply. A surge in construction is needed to address this short supply, but the surge in the quantity of housing should never come at the expense of quality. These are not mutually exclusive events or factors. We can have quality and quantity at the same time, and we must have both. Ensuring that existing apartment buildings are of good quality and well- constructed will give residents and owners greater confidence in this critical industry. The sector is 8 percent of the New South Wales economy: worth $50 billion and employs more than 400,000 people. That is why the Government will ensure that confidence and trust are restored in this important sector.
