VBA Mail – September 2023

Victoria’s construction sector continues to be a major contributor to the state’s economy and plays a central role in shaping the future of our built environment.

More than 350,000 Victorians are directly employed in the construction industry including building and plumbing practitioners, building surveyors and inspectors, engineers, fire safety professionals, architects and trades.

During the 2022-23 financial year, 105,514 building permits were issued in Victoria, with a total cost of works valued at almost $48 billion. While the number of new building permits issued reduced year-on-year by 12 per cent to 62,334, overall cost of works increased more than five per cent.

This underscored the challenges faced by industry this year, including increased material and labour costs and supply shortages. The external administration of high-profile building companies also illustrated the challenges faced by the broader construction industry.

As Victoria’s building and plumbing regulator, the VBA is focused on improving consumer outcomes so that people can feel confident – when they buy a home or invest in building in Victoria – that they meet relevant compliance standards.

The VBA is refreshing its regulatory approach to ensure it is balanced, fair, consistent and proportionate, while emphasising the need for the VBA to be a proactive, responsive, effective and credible regulator.

The fundamental goal of the VBA’s activity – to improve consumer outcomes – is our key priority.

The recent conviction of a Gippsland man who pretended to be a registered builder and constructed an extension of a property that was riddled with defects and had to be pulled down demonstrates the VBA’s commitment to holding rogue practitioners to account.

A penalty of more than $100,000 was issued, which included more than $60,000 of consumer compensation.

The VBA strongly advises consumers to make sure the builder or plumber they hire is registered or licensed and that they are who they say they are.

By using the VBA’s Find a Practitioner online tool, consumers can check whether the builder or plumber they are looking to use is registered with the VBA and whether they’ve faced any disciplinary action.