The introduction of a "building defects fund" was being investigated by the ACT government in 2010, as it sought to address concerns about building quality in Canberra.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The then-planning minister and now Chief Minister Andrew Barr also committed to a wholesale review of private certification among 11 measures to ensure a "strong and robust legislative framework" to prevent shoddy construction work in the ACT.
Mandatory inspections of newly-completed buildings, including checks on frames and wet sealing, were also floated.
However, almost a decade later, a number of the major proposals - including the building defects fund - have not been implemented.
In the meantime, Canberra's development boom has been plagued by numerous accounts of defect-ridden buildings.
Details of the proposed reforms were outlined in a letter to Owners Corporation Network president Gary Petherbridge in 2010.
On Wednesday, Mr Petherbridge tabled the correspondence at the ACT Assembly's building quality inquiry, in part to draw attention to how little progress he felt had been made in dealing with long-running concerns about building standards in the ACT.
Speaking to The Canberra Times after giving evidence at the hearing, Mr Petherbridge said it had only been in the past four months that the ACT government appeared to be cracking down on building quality issues.
He urged the government to considering introducing the 2010 proposals alongside the 43 building regulation reforms already being rolled out.
These are still ideas that would provide solutions.
- Gary Petherbridge
"The solutions have not changed [from 2010)," Mr Petherbridge said.
"These are still ideas that provide would solutions. But let's face it, the government is only now feeling the heat and addressing the problem."
In the June 2010 letter, Mr Barr said he was committed to working with industry and owners corporations to address concerns about building standards.
The three-page letter said the government was reviewing 11 potential reforms relating to regulation, inspections, education and sanctions.
It said it was considering establishing a "building defects fund", which owners could apply to access to help pay for repairs.
Developers and builders would pour money into the fund, which was to be administered by the government's justice and community safety directorate, according to the proposed model outlined by Mr Barr.
The limited avenues for owners to secure compensation or force builders to fix defects was a concern referenced in numerous submissions to the Assembly inquiry.
If the warranty period has expired, and builders or developers are reluctant to willingly rectify the defect, owners are typically forced to pursue legal action.
Mr Barr's 11-point plan also included bringing in compulsory pre-occupancy checks at new buildings and a review of private certification to ensure industry and consumers could have "confidence" in the system.
The Assembly inquiry is scheduled to hold four further public hearings up to September.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
