The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) is calling for urgent reform of Victoria's building regulation system, warning that excessive administration and duplicated requirements are delaying housing construction, increasing costs and taking building surveyors away from critical inspections.
With more than $2.5 billion spent annually across Australia fixing building defects related to National Construction Code (NCC) compliance, AIBS says cutting unnecessary administration could improve building quality while helping deliver homes faster.
AIBS President Wayne Liddy said the current system is placing unnecessary financial and administrative pressure on the construction industry, with costs ultimately flowing through to homebuyers.
"We have highly qualified professionals spending their days navigating duplicate records when their expertise is desperately needed assessing buildings and conducting inspections," Mr Liddy said.
In Victoria, administrative tasks account for approximately one-third of the time required to process a building permit application. Building surveyors must also submit documentation to both local councils and the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), duplicating work.
For the construction industry, this means longer approval times, increased costs and delays that disrupt projects, tie up money and slow housing delivery.
For consumers, delays can mean higher landholding costs, additional rent or temporary accommodation expenses and greater exposure to rising construction prices, potentially adding thousands of dollars to the cost of a new home.
"Every unnecessary delay adds pressure to an industry already struggling to deliver affordable housing. Ultimately, those costs flow through to Australians trying to build or buy a home," Mr Liddy said.
AIBS is calling for a single digital system where building documentation can be submitted and accessed by relevant authorities, removing the need for duplicate reporting.
It also recommends closer coordination between local councils and the BPC so more resources can be directed towards auditing and enforcement and ensuring buildings meet safety standards.
"Only around 42 per cent of Victorian councils have a full-time municipal building surveyor. We need to rethink how these resources are used to strengthen compliance and building safety," Mr Liddy said.
AIBS is also calling for greater cooperation between government regulators and professional bodies to help address shortages in regulatory resources.
AIBS currently operates a Professional Standards Scheme, which requires it to oversee participating members.
"Strengthening oversight isn't about adding more administrative burden. It's about ensuring the right people have the resources and authority to identify problems before they become costly defects," Mr Liddy said.
For industry, preventing defective work would free up time and money currently spent fixing problems, improving productivity and reducing costs. For homeowners, it means greater confidence that their investment will deliver a safe, compliant home.
The building industry relies fundamentally on the consumer as the primary economic engine. Restoring consumer confidence in the building industry by reducing red tape and duplication is not merely a regulatory goal, but a commercial necessity that directly stimulates investment, secures project pipelines, and ensures robust financial returns for industry stakeholders.
"The test of any reform must be whether it makes buildings safer, approvals faster and housing more affordable," Mr Liddy said.
