❓ Opposition Leader McGowan questions Premier Barnett about the Building Act 2011, citing significant delays and industry concerns. The Premier acknowledges the problem, attributing it to the implementation of private certification and outlining steps to address it.
AnsweredQoN 319Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUILDING ACT 2011
319. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's Building Act chaos, which
has halved approvals and which the Premier described as ''a logjam, some
sort of paper jam'', and will be resolved soon; and documents circulated
by the Housing Industry Association that state that the Premier's
latest changes —
DO NOT fix the problems
DO NOT unblock the system
DO NOT, unlike what has been
portrayed by the Government, resolve the industry grinding to a halt.
And —
THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT LISTEN —
HIA WAS RIGHT!
(1) Is HIA correct?
(2) Are the Premier's changes ineffectual?
(3) What further changes will the Premier now undertake to
fix this massive problem?
(4) Is the
Premier aware that thousands of jobs, businesses and apprenticeships in the
building industry are now in grave danger?
319. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's Building Act chaos, which
has halved approvals and which the Premier described as ''a logjam, some
sort of paper jam'', and will be resolved soon; and documents circulated
by the Housing Industry Association that state that the Premier's
latest changes —
DO NOT fix the problems
DO NOT unblock the system
DO NOT, unlike what has been
portrayed by the Government, resolve the industry grinding to a halt.
And —
THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT LISTEN —
HIA WAS RIGHT!
(1) Is HIA correct?
(2) Are the Premier's changes ineffectual?
(3) What further changes will the Premier now undertake to
fix this massive problem?
(4) Is the
Premier aware that thousands of jobs, businesses and apprenticeships in the
building industry are now in grave danger?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(4) Once again, the Leader of the Opposition
exaggerates. There is a problem, and I conceded —
Mr
R.H. Cook : He quotes.
Mr M. McGowan : I
quote the HIA, my friend.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Well, maybe they exaggerate.
Mr M. McGowan :
They're exaggerating?
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're exaggerating?
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
As I think I said last week, either publicly or in response to a question,
clearly there is a problem here. I have recognised that from day one. The
industry itself wants building surveyors certifying home buildings.
Mr
M. McGowan : That's not the issue.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is what they want. It is working well in the commercial sector; it is not
working well in the cottage or home building sector. Not only has the number of
approvals dropped, but also the number of applications. There are problems
about common walls and the like. The responsible minister, Hon Simon O'Brien, has made
some regulatory change that does improve the situation.
Mr M. McGowan : No,
it doesn't.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is only the Leader of the Opposition's
assertion.
Mr
M. McGowan : No, that's the HIA saying that!
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The housing industry is saying it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He has also personally been in contact with the major local
authorities on the urban fringe, and he has been talking to industry.
Considerable effort has gone into
clearing up those applications that have either not come in or applications
that are in the system so that we do not have a significant disruption. Bear in
mind that the industry is working on projects approved some time ago, so we
want to make sure that a scenario does not evolve of an actual physical
slowdown.
Mr
M. McGowan : You know we're all getting calls to our offices, don't
you?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
do not know what the Leader of the Opposition knows.
Mr M. McGowan : All
your members are getting calls to their offices!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The effort of the government and the effort I have asked of the minister and
other ministers involved —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Hasn't worked—it has not unblocked the
system.
The SPEAKER : Take
a seat, Premier.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It is a waste of time with the member for Midland.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The effort is with local government, involving both planning and housing
because there is an interlay here—interplay, if members like—between
planning issues and building approval issues; they are not entirely separate.
The move towards private certification, which this government endorses and
supports and which the industry wanted, has run into problems. I readily
acknowledge that. The effort of
government across different portfolios, but principally Hon Simon O'Brien , is to clear it up and make sure that these
approvals are put in place; the applications come in and the approvals flow. Hon Simon O'Brien has already made some changes to regulations
which assist. They do not solve it—I realise that—but they
assist; and during the winter recess we will look at any amendments that are
required to the legislation itself. We are dealing with the problem that is
there. It is a serious problem, but it is about getting independent
certification in place; and that is where we will end up.
exaggerates. There is a problem, and I conceded —
Mr
R.H. Cook : He quotes.
Mr M. McGowan : I
quote the HIA, my friend.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Well, maybe they exaggerate.
Mr M. McGowan :
They're exaggerating?
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're exaggerating?
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
As I think I said last week, either publicly or in response to a question,
clearly there is a problem here. I have recognised that from day one. The
industry itself wants building surveyors certifying home buildings.
Mr
M. McGowan : That's not the issue.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
That is what they want. It is working well in the commercial sector; it is not
working well in the cottage or home building sector. Not only has the number of
approvals dropped, but also the number of applications. There are problems
about common walls and the like. The responsible minister, Hon Simon O'Brien, has made
some regulatory change that does improve the situation.
Mr M. McGowan : No,
it doesn't.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : That is only the Leader of the Opposition's
assertion.
Mr
M. McGowan : No, that's the HIA saying that!
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : The housing industry is saying it!
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : He has also personally been in contact with the major local
authorities on the urban fringe, and he has been talking to industry.
Considerable effort has gone into
clearing up those applications that have either not come in or applications
that are in the system so that we do not have a significant disruption. Bear in
mind that the industry is working on projects approved some time ago, so we
want to make sure that a scenario does not evolve of an actual physical
slowdown.
Mr
M. McGowan : You know we're all getting calls to our offices, don't
you?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
do not know what the Leader of the Opposition knows.
Mr M. McGowan : All
your members are getting calls to their offices!
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The effort of the government and the effort I have asked of the minister and
other ministers involved —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts : Hasn't worked—it has not unblocked the
system.
The SPEAKER : Take
a seat, Premier.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : It is a waste of time with the member for Midland.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The effort is with local government, involving both planning and housing
because there is an interlay here—interplay, if members like—between
planning issues and building approval issues; they are not entirely separate.
The move towards private certification, which this government endorses and
supports and which the industry wanted, has run into problems. I readily
acknowledge that. The effort of
government across different portfolios, but principally Hon Simon O'Brien , is to clear it up and make sure that these
approvals are put in place; the applications come in and the approvals flow. Hon Simon O'Brien has already made some changes to regulations
which assist. They do not solve it—I realise that—but they
assist; and during the winter recess we will look at any amendments that are
required to the legislation itself. We are dealing with the problem that is
there. It is a serious problem, but it is about getting independent
certification in place; and that is where we will end up.
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