Note to members – Building and Development Certifiers Bill 2018

25th Oct 18


Dear Members

I wanted to update you on the ongoing NSW Parliamentary debate on the Building and Development Certifiers Bill 2018.

While the Legislative Assembly debate on this Bill featured some ill-informed comments from some contributors, the Shadow Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Yasmin Catley MP gave an informed speech which echoed many of our concerns.

The Shadow Minister also directly referred to the AAC in her contribution to the debate, which you can read here. She explicitly addressed the real issues confronting certifiers, and how this Bill does not address them.

       “This is a missed opportunity. The Government has chosen at the eleventh hour to present a bill that is restrictive in its view. It dumbs down these broader concerns into a view that sees most problems lying at the feet of a few dodgy certifiers. There are real concerns about the viability of the private certification industry, and we need to address them upfront rather than ignore them and wish they would all go away...”

This is a positive outcome and reflects the hard work being put in by the AAC to engage with the Shadow Minister and her office.

The Bill is now moving to the Legislative Council for further debate and potential amendment. AAC will continue to engage with Members of the Legislative Council to ensure an informed debate can occur and our concerns are understood and hopefully addressed.

In this vein, AAC is writing to all Members of the Legislative Council and will be engaging directly with some Members on potential amendments to the Bill. We will be including the fact sheet, “What does an Accredited Certifier do?”(click to access)

If you wish to support your Associations’ efforts please contact Local Members expressing your concerns, and especially note the potential cost increases and anticompetitive impacts of the proposed changes.

I will continue to keep you updated on this matter.

Yours sincerely

Jill Brookfield
AAC Chief Executive Officer

Fact Sheet_About Accredited Certifiers.pdf (324.8 kB)