The Office of the NSW Building Commissioner

We're delivering once-in-a-generation reform of the building and construction industry.

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:

    Building defect complaints

    NSW Fair Trading manages complaints about building defects.

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

    Contact the Building Commissioner

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

    Make an enquiry

     

    Protecting homeowners

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    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.
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    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.

    Upskilling industry

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    Industry resources
    Developing guides to help industry adapt to these reforms and deliver quality building work.
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    Skills and education
    Online short courses to upskill the construction workforce, developed with TAFE NSW and industry professionals. Find a course.
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    Strengthen contracts
    Supporting industry to improve construction contracts and procurement methods. Find sample contracts.

    Transforming regulation

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    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.

    Resources

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    Research reports

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    Case studies

    Open book

    Tools and templates

    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. 

    Latest news

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