The Building Confidence Report – Focus on Building Surveyors

The 2014 Lacrosse apartment fire, 2017 Grenfell Tower fire and the more recent Neo200 fire all serve to highlight numerous safety risks brought on by non-compliance in the building and construction industry. All three fire incidents revealed building structural problems and the non-compliant use of building products, particularly the use of combustible cladding material.

These incidents affecting hundreds of residents have brought to focus a troubling pattern of non-compliance in the construction industry. In fact, thousands of buildings for homes, offices, hospitals and factories have been found to be covered with similar flammable cladding material.

This series of unfortunate events prompted the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to commission Prof. Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir in 2017 to create an assessment of the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement systems embodied in the National Construction Code (NCC) being implemented across Australia.

The product of this assessment is the Building Confidence report, which provides 24 recommendations – five of which directly address the work of building surveyors.

The role of building surveyors

Building surveyors play a critical role in the construction industry. They are responsible for advising clients about any concerns regarding the design, construction, maintenance and repair of buildings. They are also tasked to check for and report building defects and to make recommendations.

More importantly, building surveyors are duty-bound to ensure each building they assess complies with the building code of Australia, as well as any other applicable standards and regulations. These are among the reasons why the Building Confidence report dedicates specific recommendations concerning building surveyors.

Recommendation 4 – Career paths for building surveyors

The number of building surveyors in Australia is inadequate to meet current and future needs. Moreover, the current career pathway for this ageing workforce, in which the average age is over 50, is both inadequate and ill-defined.
It is recommended that a nationally consistent supervised training scheme be established to cover extensive training on regulatory obligations, ethical conduct and the operation of the NCC.

Recommendation 9 – Integrity of private building surveyors

Minimum statutory controls need to be clearly defined and established in each jurisdiction to address problems involving conflict of interest. Statutory controls should also be aimed at increasing transparency in the engagement of private building surveyors, as well as clearly spell out their role and responsibilities in a project.
If a building surveyor is engaged to provide design advice for the purpose of compliance, they should not be allowed to play a statutory role in the same project.

Recommendation 10 – Codes of conduct for building surveyors

Five jurisdictions were found to not have a code of conduct for building surveyors. A code of conduct is an essential reference for standards and a basis for the issuance of disciplinary action to building surveyors who commit any oversights and unprofessional behaviour.
It is recommended that all jurisdictions implement a code of conduct for building surveyors with core content that is nationally consistent whilst also addressing the specific needs of each jurisdiction.

Recommendation 11 – Role of building surveyors in enforcement

Fraudulent documentation, failure to report, under-reporting building concerns, and inadequate follow-up with regulatory bodies plague the building approvals process. Some private building surveyors can be reluctant to report problems concerning their clients. This is why private building surveyors need to have clear-cut supervisory powers and be obliged to report their findings concerning non-compliance to regulatory authorities.

Recommendation 12 – Collecting and sharing data and intelligence

Some jurisdictions have encountered difficulties in accessing information pertaining to the construction of buildings, even when there are already rules in place requiring the documentation of all building work.
It is recommended that every jurisdiction have a building database to serve as a centralised resource of information on building design and construction documentation. Although this database will be accessible only to a few authorised persons, it adds a layer of transparency to the building approvals process.

Some regulatory bodies have already taken action to address the need for stricter measures and to ensure compliance in the construction industry. This includes the Victorian Building Authority, which has developed a Code of Conduct for Victorian Building Surveyors to be implemented from January 1, 2021. Also, New South Wales and Victoria recently implemented their own certification data reporting mechanisms using compliance-certified software, including Visual Approvals.

To read the complete Building Confidence Report, click here.