The Minns Labor Government remains focused on improving building standards with the Commission NSW’s most recent inspection blitz targeting building sites across Port Macquarie and New England.
More than 150 site inspections were completed during the July visits, resulting in 25 fines with a total value of $17,600.
Visits to regional areas are an important part of the regulator’s work, combining compliance inspections with educational campaigns to lift standards, support local tradespeople, and better protect consumers.
Port Macquarie
During the July visits, Building Commission NSW conducted 123 general compliance inspections at Class 1 residential building sites across Forster, Nelson Bay and Port Macquarie. The inspections resulted in 21 fines totalling $14,850.
Most fines were issued for unlicensed residential building works, failure to display appropriate signage on development consent work, failure of a licensee to ensure a contractor is supervised, and unauthorised plumbing or drainage work.
Building Commission NSW also handed out 21 cautions primarily relating to non-display of site signage and unlicenced work.
While the number of fines remains similar to the two visits to the Mid North Coast in 2025, this trip did see inspectors visit around 50 more sites overall. It is also encouraging that no Written Direction Notices or Building Rectification Orders were issued, compared with last year’s visits where both enforcement actions were required to address non-compliance.
In addition to inspections, Building Commission NSW conducted an educational trade seminar in Port Macquarie where around 50 local tradespeople were in attendance.
New England
Building Commission NSW also visited 32 Class 1 sites across Armidale, Calala, East Tamworth, Kootingal, Moore Creek and North Tamworth in July.
Inspections resulted in four fines being issued, totalling $2,750, with two being for non-display of signage and two for unlicenced work.
Overall, Building Commission NSW was very pleased with the high levels of compliance observed across the region.
Since establishing Building Commission NSW as the dedicated regulator in 2023, the NSW Government has prioritised raising standards and boosting confidence across the home building industry.
Further inspections will be conducted in both regions before the end of the year to ensure these high standards are maintained, giving locals confidence that new homes are constructed safely and to the highest quality.
This is all part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to build more high-quality homes for the people of NSW.
Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:
“It’s fantastic to see the Port Macquarie and North England communities engaging with Building Commission NSW to deliver high-quality homes in the region.
“Compliance blitzes like these get to the crux of why the Minns Labor Government established Building Commission NSW – and there has never been a more important time to support local practitioners in their work to build a better NSW.
“These results are very encouraging, demonstrating that the Government’s commitment to raising building standards in every corner of the state is working.”
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:
“Our North Coast communities like Port Macquarie are growing rapidly, and local families investing their hard-earned money into building a home deserve absolute peace of mind. They deserve to know that every dollar they spend is buying a structurally sound and high-quality home.
“We know the vast majority of tradies are doing the right thing, and compliance blitzes like this one show why proactive enforcement is so critical.
“We want to protect local home buyers and ensure our regional construction industry remains safe and fair for everyone which is why we are cracking down on unlicensed work and poor standards now.”
NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard said:
“Whether they’re buying a home in Sydney or the regions, residents deserve the confidence of knowing they can move in from day one without worrying about defects that shouldn’t be there.
“Where non-compliant work is detected, our inspectors will be issuing fines and orders to ensure these problems are rectified.
“Beyond compliance, these inspections give our team an opportunity to connect with local tradespeople and understand unique challenges and issues affecting them.”
