Victoria to strengthen residential building regulations
The state government is delivering a wide suite of changes to the governance of the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).
In a bid to ensure Victorians can exercise confidence when building, buying or renovating a home, Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has recently announced new governance arrangements to support broader changes at the VBA, with the current multicommissioner governing board to be replaced by a sole commissioner.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Kilkenny announced that the VBA’s current CEO, Anna Cronin, has been appointed as commissioner and will commence in the role on 31 March 2024.
Cronin has been the CEO since July 2023 and has overseen major changes to the organisation’s performance and culture, most notably revising the VBA’s regulatory strategy to ensure consumer protection remains the foremost focus of the regulator’s work.
Within her new appointment, Cronin will be supported by new advisory committees composed of key building, plumbing and consumer experts that will collectively help to strengthen the regulator’s practices and performance.
Kilkenny was resolute in regard to the new appointment and the support the new structure will afford to Victorians.
“The role of the building regulator is critical as we deliver more homes for Victorians that are where people want to live – close to transport, jobs and services – under the landmark housing statement,” Kilkenny stated.
Further protections for Victorians building or renovating a home are being considered through the work of the Building System Review Expert Panel and a review of the Domestic Building Contracts Act.
These new arrangements are reported to be part of a broader program of rapid changes at the VBA in ensuring that Victorians can trust in the quality and liveability of their homes.
“These changes will deliver stronger oversight of new home buildings, ensuring safer, quality and affordable homes for Victorians,” concluded Kilkenny.
