Current and future reform programs will build on the achievements delivered to date to improve the ACT's building regulatory system. These reforms will:

  • Include actions that respond to recommendations from the Inquiry into Building Quality in the ACT and the national Building Confidence Report .
  • Be informed by areas identified for further development and broader community and industry consultation through the previous review of the ACT's Building Regulatory System and subsequent reform program.

Immediate Priorities are:

  • Extending occupational licensing to select building trades including waterproofing, painting and decorating, brick and block layering, carpentry, plastering, tiling, concreting and glazing.
  • Establishing an expert team of publicly funded building certifiers in the ACT Public Service.
  • Implementation and monitoring of the developer licensing and regulation scheme.
  • Implementation and monitoring of the professional engineers registration scheme.
  • Implementation and monitoring of home swimming pool safety reforms.
  • Commencing policy work on automatic mutual recognition for construction occupations.
  • Progress actions contained in the ACT Sustainable Buildings Pathway to improve building performance and address embodied carbon.
  • Implementation of recommendations from the review of residential building work insurance regulatory settings.
  • Responding to action 11.4 in the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan: require new or substantially altered residential properties in bushfire prone areas to comply with the bushfire related construction requirements in the Building Code of Australia.

Future reforms include:

  • A detailed review of the ACT’s security of payment laws will commence in late 2025, to inform improvements  aimed at making the building industry fairer and strengthening payment protections.
  • Continued work to lift standards and practices across the building and construction sector.
  • Improved regulation of building practitioners in response to the National Building Confidence Report.
  • Maintaining the currency of the ACT's building regulatory system through regular updates.