For the first time in four years, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Building Ministers Forum (BMF), met with relevant industry and peak body representatives to assess the recommendations contained in the Building Confidence report.
The report by Prof Peter Shergold and Ms Bronwyn Weir assesses compliance and enforcement problems impacting the efficacy the National Construction Code (NCC) across Australia in the wake of the Lacrosse and Grenfell Tower fires.
The report provides 24 recommendations, which received unanimous support from the 21 profession and industry representatives invited to attend the forum.
Despite providing in-principle support for the report at their April meeting, the most recent communique issued by the BMF shows that the clear and consistent industry support for urgent implementation of the recommendations has been heard but not entirely heeded.
The BMF says it will now develop a paper that sets out an implementation plan for reform to be reviewed at the next BMF meeting in December.
But the paper will focus on just three of the recommendations contained in the report, with further consideration of only three more.
The three recommendations slated for implementation focus on the integrity of private building surveyors.
While Engineers Australia applauds the ministers for responding to these three recommendations, as well as the commitment to development of an Australian Standard for permanent labelling of Aluminum Composite Panel (ACP), we are concerned with the lack of urgency in planning for implementation of the remaining 18 recommendations.
These recommendations are about risk management, fire safety and competency. Implementation of the Building Confidence recommendations will build confidence that all steps have been taken to ensure our community is safe in the built environment.
On behalf of our members, Engineers Australia endorsed all recommendations contained in the report. In particular, Engineers Australia advocated for implementation of the 10 recommendations focused on a nationally consistent approach to registration and CPD for certain categories of building practitioners, fire safety, approvals, satisfactory documentation and record keeping, independent third party review and post construction information management.
The need for a comprehensive timetable
The Department of Industry, Science and Innovation has confirmed with Engineers Australia that there is continued in-principle support from the BMF for all recommendations and that those slated for inclusion in the implementation plan paper, as well as those listed for further consideration, should be considered as priorities, with the balance of recommendations to be considered for implementation at a later date.
Unfortunately, this date was not specified. A comprehensive timetable for implementation is vital to building confidence in ministerial commitment to public safety.
The BMF response to the report is decidedly underwhelming. It is now more than a year since the tragic Grenfell Tower fire and nearly four years since the Lacrosse Building fire. The report advocates for implementation of the recommendations over three years.
But it seems we will have to wait for the next BMF meeting in December and hope they provide a clear timeframe with implementation target dates for all 24 recommendations.
What needs to happen next
The BMF has made a start but it’s not enough. Government needs to hold proper consultation with fire authorities in designing fire safety systems.
Registration requiring insurance and CPD provides assurance that engineers and other building professionals are competent to do the job expected of them.
Confidence in the buildings in which we live, work and play is built through regulation, compliance and enforcement and the BMF response to the report lacks teeth.
Whilst those recommendations listed as priorities will effect real and positive change when implemented, those left out will remain as just words on paper, patiently waiting for ministers to take them seriously.
Engineers Australia continues to advocate for implementation of the remaining Shergold and Weir recommendations in the interest of public safety and eagerly awaits a timeline for implementation from the members of the BMF.