The NSW Government has announced an additional $5 million to recruit 30 new building inspectors and auditors to join NSW Fair Trading.
Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson said the funding will allow the Government to continue with its progress to lift confidence in residential construction.
"Under this Government we've introduced landmark legislation to shake up the industry and prevent risky players from putting substandard properties on the market," Mr Anderson said.
"The new laws provide homebuyers with confidence that their new home has been designed and built in accordance with the Building Code of Australia. This is especially important at a time when more and more families are looking to enter the housing market."
Mr Anderson said the 30 new inspectors and auditors will join an existing team of 30 that have been active in the field since September last year. These new inspectors will play a critical role in implementing Fair Trading's new proactive compliance strategy to identify and resolve defects before projects are completed.
"Having the legislation in place is one thing, but enforcing it is another. We'll now have an army of inspectors looking at both building work and the quality of the many designs and certificates that go into that construction. We want to knock out the dodgy players and make sure that customers can have confidence when they are handed the keys to their new apartments."
The NSW Government will also allocate funds to continue its work in modernising and digitising the construction sector.
"We've already progressed a series of tools, including a risk ratings tool, digital assurance product, and the strata portal to transform how this sector operates and how we regulate it," Mr Anderson said.
"Thanks to these tools we have already tripled the amount of buildings audited. Fair Trading is now analysing more than 170 million lines of data, giving it a clear idea of who the problem operators are and what they're working on so they can target their enforcement efforts where they are most needed.
"Over the next twelve months we'll be introducing a number of new digital solutions that will aid the work of the regulator, as well as provide positive outcomes for those working in, or looking to buy into the residential market."
