NSW construction watchdog chief underlines agenda

In his first week in the job, the new head of the New South Wales construction regulator has set out his reform priorities for the industry.

Among them, James Sherrard lists stronger regulation, construction compliance, and consumer protection. “Building Commission NSW was set the challenge to lift industry standards, and momentum is already shifting,” he said. “We will continue to get on with the job to restore industry integrity and give NSW residents peace of mind that their home is safe and secure.”

Sherrard joins the Building Commission as the construction watchdog marks its first anniversary. During the past 12 months, 1,400 new builds have been inspected across metropolitan and regional NSW.

These have included inspections to assess concrete quality safety which discovered defects across 12 buildings in four major metro regions of the state – Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong.

The inspections were sparked by intelligence suggesting 20 Class 2 apartment buildings were at risk of poor-quality construction.

These surprise inspections are part of the regulator’s ongoing monitoring of new builds. The focus of the audits relate to the five key building elements: structure, fire safety, waterproofing, building envelope, and services (such as electrical, plumbing, and lifts).

Sherrard said, while most industry players are onboard with the commission’s reform agenda, those that fail to comply will be enforced to do so, “Without fear nor favour.” The focus of the regulator, said Sherrard, was to “push the construction industry to be better, build quality homes, and take compliance seriously”.

NSW Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said, since its establishment in December 2023, the Building Commission has made some steps in restoring people’s faith in the industry.

“Public confidence in the building and construction industry was low, standards were not up to scratch, and there were too many horror stories of building defects,” said Chanthivong. “Building Commission NSW has made significant progress in turning negative perceptions of the building industry around.”