Queensland Building Plan 2017 Queensland Building and Construction Commission

Queensland needs a strong, viable and productive building and construction sector that can meet the needs of a growing population and support the people who work within the industry.

This means we need effective laws as well as a strong regulator.

The top priority of our regulator, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), is to achieve better outcomes for the state’s building industry, licensees and consumers.

The QBCC has undergone a considerable redesign. A new Commissioner and a new Board were appointed, and strategic restructuring of senior leadership roles and teams within the organisation is continuing, to ensure the QBCC is strong and independent.

This new leadership and renewed purpose will help the QBCC get back to its core regulatory role and enhance its ability to build trust and confidence in the building and construction sector.

The reform to the QBCC also includes policy changes and new laws resulting in expanded QBCC powers to uphold compliance and protect consumers and licensees who do the right thing.

The QBCC is committed to improving safety in the building and construction industry by encouraging licensees to put the welfare of all Queenslanders first and by taking effective action against those who don’t.

Action items

  • Approved ability to find important problems/issues through the use of new investigative powers.
  • Uphold new responsibilities across the building product supply chain participants to ensure a building product is not a non-conforming building product.
  • Greater entry powers allow inspectors to enter public places, places of business of licensees, and places of business.
  • Increased enforcement provisions, and appropriate penalties for non-compliance. This includes the powers to direct and undertake remedial action to make places safe in emergency situations.
  • In order to ensure building workplace safety, there is a positive obligation on QBCC licensees to notify the QBCC about activity on site that may present a work health safety issue.
  • Increased information sharing with other regulatory agencies.
  • Expanding grounds upon which QBCC may take disciplinary action against a licensee if they’re convicted of a work health and safety offence.
  • Take stronger action to prevent “phoenixing” by using the new wider definition of influential persons who are to be excluded from the industry.

Contact the QBCC