NSW Building Commissioner

What we do

We are improving the quality of construction of residential apartment buildings and restoring trust in the industry through the Construct NSW strategy. Read more about Construct NSW.

We work closely with Fair Trading and the Department of Customer Service to implement these reforms under the leadership of David Chandler OAM, the NSW Building Commissioner.

Our reforms aim to:

Protect homebuyers from defective building work
Support and upskill industry
Transform the regulator's approach

Protecting homeowners

Legislative reform to protect homeowners

Two new laws are improving protection for home buyers. They target serious defects and improve the quality of construction from design to completion.

First home buyers outside their new home

Support to remediate combustible cladding

We're supporting affected strata communities to remove combustible cladding on high-risk residential apartment buildings.

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Stop work, prohibition and rectification orders

We have the power to inspect building sites, stop work, stop occupation certificates from being issued, and order rectification work on residential apartment buildings.

A danger construction sign outside a building site

Upskilling industry

Industry resources

Developing guides to help industry adapt to these reforms and deliver quality building work.

A male using a digital tablet on a construction site

Skills and education

Online short courses to upskill the construction workforce, developed with TAFE NSW and industry professionals. Find a course.

Strengthen contracts

Supporting industry to improve construction contracts and procurement methods. Find sample contracts.

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Transforming regulation

Evidencing our reforms

Collaborating with research partners to run surveys and consultations, gather baseline information on the state of the industry, and provide evidence for our reforms. Read the latest research.

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Developer ratings

Making it easier for home buyers and the regulator to identify the riskiest developers. Read more.

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Digital platforms

Improving digital tools to improve transparency and accountability across the building lifecycle.

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Resources

Research reports

Case studies

Tools and templates

More resources

Resolve building defects

All complaints about building defects should be lodged through the NSW Fair Trading building complaint form.

Find out more about how Fair Trading handles residential building complaints or make a complaint.
Make a complaint

Contact the Building Commissioner

Contact the Building Commissioner through the NSW Fair Trading general inquiry form.

The Building Commissioner cannot respond directly to complaints about building defects.

Make an enquiry

David Chandler OAM
NSW Building Commissioner

The NSW Building Commissioner, David Chandler OAM

David Chandler OAM was appointed NSW Building Commissioner in 2019 after an impressive forty-year career in the Australian construction industry.

Highlights of David’s career include the management of some of Australia’s most iconic building projects: Sydney’s Quay Apartments, Canberra’s New Parliament House, and Melbourne’s South Bank. As an Adjunct Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics at Western Sydney University, David founded the Centre for Smart Modern Construction. He was the Deputy Chair of the BER Implementation review and is a regular industry commentator and presenter. David was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1989 for his services to the construction industry.