Building Commission NSW blitzes Riverina-Murray
Building Commission NSW recently paid a visit to the Riverina-Murray region to conduct rigorous inspections on new builds, as part of a broader compliance campaign visiting regional parts of NSW.
The Riverina-Murray compliance blitz in early May of this year saw inspectors visit 41 sites in Albury, Thurgoona, Ettamogah, Wirlinga, Corowa, Howlong, Mulwala, Wagga Wagga, Albert Lake, and Gobbagombalin.
During the blitz, inspectors divided their time between general building inspections, specialist electrical work checks, and ensuring compliance with licencing as well as signage rules.
As a result of the compliance campaign Building Commission NSW expects to issue 29 Rectification Orders for a range of defects detected during the inspections.
Before these orders are finalised and made public, Building Commission NSW must consider written representations from the developer or principal contractor, as required by legislation.
The blitz also saw Building Commission NSW issue 15 penalty infringement notices (PINs) valued at $16,490 for issues related to signage, unlicenced contracting, unlicenced work, and non-compliant electrical work.
In addition to the PINS for non-compliant electrical work, Building Commission NSW inspectors issued 16 written direction notices (WDNs) for specialist electrical work.
Since the start of 2025, Building Commission NSW has visited regional areas across NSW inspecting a range of residential construction sites to ensure they are up to scratch.
So far compliance blitzes in the Tweed and Mid-North Coast have seen hundreds of inspections carried out on standalone houses and apartment buildings in regional parts of NSW.
As part of this ongoing compliance campaign, Building Commission NSW also plans to visit other regional locations of the state to ensure local construction sectors are up to scratch.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong:
“Building quality is one of the Minns Labor Government's highest priorities.
“Since the establishment of Building Commission NSW as a dedicated regulator in December 2023, we have worked hard to drive out the bad actors and rogue operators in the industry to rebuild confidence in the building sector.
“One of the primary focuses for Building Commission NSW is to go where homes are being built, which is why it is paramount we conduct regional inspection blitzes.
“By working within these communities Building Commission NSW can set clear expectations for local industry to ensure they are delivering high quality building work to the people of NSW.
“Inspectors don’t just issue penalties for non-compliance; they will also return to the site in the coming months to ensure appropriate steps have been taken to remedy the work.”
Quotes attributable to Building Commission NSW Commissioner James Sherrard:
“Building Commission NSW is aware of the key issues faced by regional communities, whether that be resourcing constraints for councils or a shortage of trades that can result in unlicenced work.
“But the results we saw in the Riverina-Murray region leave room for improvement, with a number of rectification orders to be issued as a result of this compliance campaign.
“While Building Commission NSW targets sites of concern as part of these campaigns, I want to remind local builders in the Riverina-Murray region to keep quality at the forefront of their work.”