A significant reform by the Queensland Government is expected to deliver a brighter future for the building and construction industry. A free, independent system has now been established to review decisions made by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
Minister for Housing and Public Works Tim Mander said that previously, home owners, builders, contractors and certifiers could only appeal the building industry regulator’s decisions in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
According to Mr Mander, the change is a real boost to anyone bringing a complaint to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission as an internal review will examine decisions about licensing, insurance, rectification orders, bans or exclusions.
He described the changes as being part of the Government’s strong plan to deliver a brighter future for the building and construction industry, which was ignored by the former Labor government.
Mr Mander explains the free, independent, internal review process is an efficient solution to the current arrangement. The internal review decision must be made within 28 days of receiving the application, making the internal review process a very quick and efficient way of resolving concerns with administrative decisions made by the Commission. The changes will also reduce the number of decisions reviewed in QCAT by improving the way decisions are documented and communicated to affected parties.
If an individual remains dissatisfied with the outcome of the internal review process, they can still lodge an appeal with QCAT for another review of the decision.
The Commission will be offering the internal review process to builders, trade contractors, building certifiers and home owners from 1 July 2014.
The proposed changes to the relevant legislation will be introduced into Parliament by mid-year and are scheduled to formally come into force from 1 September 2014.
