Industry Part 2
Part 2 of the industry picture displays the considerable influence and control wielded by the membership bodies representing the broad base of building practitioners. These are primarily national bodies that maintain a substantial power base through general membership, such as the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the Master Builders Association (MBA), the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS), and Master Plumbers, to name a few.
Others do not appear to receive a commission but have partners who provide supplementary insurances such as professional indemnity, which is currently a topic of debate. The industry’s proposed removal of PI insurance for building surveyors will be discussed in a later post.
Some membership packages also provide commercial contracts, free advice, and underwrite legal costs should a dispute arise.
These bundled membership benefits and services create a formidable opponent for a consumer should a dispute of any sort arise. You are not just taking on a building practitioner; you are taking on an industry that turns over more than forty billion dollars annually; no wonder the consumer cannot take a trick!
Fiona O’Hehir & the Team
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.