The Territory Labor Government is strengthening consumer confidence in the local building industry and improving safety outcomes through amendments to the Building Act 1993 and associated regulations.
The amendments, which passed via legislation in parliament today, introduce registration for commercial building contractors in the Northern Territory, as well as expanding powers to introduce a continuing professional development scheme for building practitioners such as building contractors, certifying engineers, certifying plumbers and building certifiers.
Registration of building practitioners involved in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and consistent requirements for registration are key recommendations from the nationally supported Building Confidence Report.
Changes to building legislation will be rolled out in two stages:
Stage 1 – A 12-month grandfathering transition period will enable eligible building contractors to obtain a commercial registration, without meeting qualification requirements.
Stage 2 – Commencing immediately after Stage 1, this phase mandates the legal requirement that you must have a registered commercial builder for new commercial building work.
The amended Act will also allow for the future establishment of a continuing professional development scheme for building practitioners.
Quotes to attribute to Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Joel Bowden:
“The Territory Labor Government is putting consumers first with this legislation to strengthen protections and align our building industry with national standards.
“The legislation ensures that building contractors have the appropriate qualifications and experience to build specific buildings and provides for the continuing professional development of our local practitioners”.
