SCA (NSW) President, Chris Duggan has appeared before the Public Accountability Committee at the public hearing for the Inquiry into the Regulation of Building Standards, Building Quality and Building Disputes. A full copy of the day’s transcript is available online on the NSW Parliament website.
The SCA (NSW) seven-point plan, which was part of its submission to the inquiry, was tabled to the committee. Flammable cladding was discussed as well as a subset of wider defect issues that are currently plaguing NSW buildings. The evidence given focussed on the support for consumers within the industry and highlighted the need for certainty of process, products and outcomes.
The committee was cautioned around the release of the register of buildings affected by flammable cladding and it was recommended to them that releasing it be considered in terms of the content and the context of what awareness in the public domain would generate.
SCA (NSW) has concerns around the premature publication of that register and the impact, probably the enduring impact, on the value of those properties for some owners who may well have registered their scheme as a precaution.
SCA (NSW) advocates that there be a full need for disclosure to any affected stakeholders, whether they be owners, tenants or any third party in terms of government and others. However, there is still more work to be done to clarify the list.
