The Re-Incarnation

SPHERES OF POWER & INFLUENCE

The Victorian Building Authority was the phoenix that rose from the ashes of the shabby and disgraced Building Commission after the publication of the damming Victorian Auditor General’s report into Compliance with the Building Permit system (2010-11 Attached). A bright light was shone on many unethical, dishonest, and illegal practices within the industry.

Politicians, bureaucrats, government agencies, and even the legal fraternity and industry associations all promised a new dawn of service delivery and practitioner compliance. The public believed the new entity would change the culture and reduce some of the shady practices that were a day-to-day occurrence of the Building Commission.

Instead, the public has been subjected to a continuation and a further escalation of bad behaviour, illegal activities and polluting processes that actively work against the consumers causing immeasurable financial and emotional damage to the broader community. And no one gives a fig.

The dismantling of the Building Practitioners Board and the subsequent introduction of the “show cause” process means that consumers’ rights have been cut, leading to no right of appeal to that disciplinary process or decision made by the VBA.

Is it not one of the pillars of natural justice to hear and treat both sides equally? The current complaint and the disciplinary system are leveraged towards the practitioner and work against the consumer.

Fiona O’Hehir, our Team & our Community

Having encountered many of these issues, we want to share experiences to assist others in avoiding what we did not. We are not lawyers, nor do we give advice.