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| Building Commission (Queensland) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Building Commission (Queensland) |
| Formation | 2000s |
| Dissolution | 2013 |
| Superseding | Queensland Building and Construction Commission |
| Jurisdiction | Queensland |
| Headquarters | Brisbane |
| Parent agency | Department of Housing and Public Works |
Building Commission (Queensland) The Building Commission (Queensland) was a statutory authority responsible for regulatory oversight of building, plumbing and electrical work in Brisbane, Queensland until its functions were subsumed into the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. It operated alongside agencies such as the Office of Fair Trading (Queensland), the Department of Housing and Public Works, and the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland regulator, interfacing with professional bodies including the Australian Institute of Building, the Master Builders Queensland and the Housing Industry Association. The Commission engaged with national frameworks tied to the Australian Building Codes Board, the Standards Australia system and state instruments such as the Plumbing and Drainage Act and other statutory instruments.
The Commission emerged in the context of post-1990s reform efforts linked to inquiries like the aftermath of the Bjelke-Petersen era controversies and administrative reviews influenced by the Queensland Public Sector Review and national debates following the Shergold-Weir Report and reports addressing building failures. Its formation reflected policy responses similar to reforms after incidents reviewed by the Cole Commission and parallels with structural change in jurisdictions including New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. During its tenure the Commission coordinated with entities such as the Queensland Audit Office, the Crime and Corruption Commission (Queensland), and legal frameworks including the Building Code of Australia and the Australian Consumer Law as administered by the Commonwealth of Australia and the Attorney-General of Queensland. In 2013 responsibilities transitioned to the newly established Queensland Building and Construction Commission under state initiatives echoing reforms in the Productivity Commission and national accords like the Council of Australian Governments.
The Commission was governed through ministerial oversight by the Minister for Public Works and Housing (Queensland) and reported to the Parliament of Queensland via departmental arrangements with the Department of Housing and Public Works. Its board included appointees drawn from registers associated with the Australian Institute of Architects, the Engineers Australia, the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and industry groups such as Master Plumbers Australia and Housing Industry Association affiliates. Governance frameworks referenced administrative law principles as litigated in courts including the Supreme Court of Queensland, the High Court of Australia, and decisions from tribunals such as the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The structure included directorates analogous to those in the Victorian Building Authority and liaison units comparable to the New South Wales Building Professionals Board.
The Commission’s remit encompassed regulation of licensure, oversight of compliance with the Building Code of Australia, administration of mandatory dispute resolution systems similar to schemes run by the New South Wales Fair Trading authority, and the management of audit programs inspired by national standards bodies including Standards Australia and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission where financial probity intersected with construction contracting. It handled administration of bonds, complaints processes akin to those used by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and coordination with insurers such as those regulated under the Insurance Council of Australia. The Commission provided policy advice to ministers and contributed to intergovernmental committees like the Building Ministers' Forum and participated in national technical committees convened by the Australian Building Codes Board.
The Commission administered licensing schemes for practitioners comparable to systems in Victoria and New South Wales, covering trades represented by bodies such as the Master Builders Association, the Plumbing Industry Council and electrical regulators aligned with Energy Safe Victoria practice. Registrations, assessments and disciplinary registers referenced professional standards maintained by the Australian Institute of Building, Engineers Australia, and certification norms like those from National Association of Women in Construction. The Commission’s registers informed procurement practices for public authorities such as Queensland Health and local governments including the Brisbane City Council, and interfaced with national vetting processes including checks similar to those managed by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Inspection regimes reflected methodologies used by the Victorian Building Authority and involved coordination with local government building certifiers such as those operating under Local Government Association of Queensland frameworks and the City of Gold Coast. Enforcement actions ranged from administrative sanctions to prosecutions brought in courts including the Magistrates Court of Queensland, and involved collaboration with investigative bodies like the Crime and Corruption Commission (Queensland). The Commission implemented audit and surveillance comparable to programs run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for product safety, and worked with emergency services such as the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services where building safety risks implicated fire safety standards.
Standards promotion relied on harmonisation with the Building Code of Australia, publications by Standards Australia, and technical committees aligned with the Australian Building Codes Board and the National Construction Code. The Commission engaged with professional institutes such as the Australian Institute of Architects, Engineers Australia, Royal Australian Institute of Architects legacy groups, Association of Building Consultants and specialist societies including the Australian Window Association and Housing Industry Association to promulgate codes, guidance notes and advisory circulars.
Stakeholder engagement included partnerships with industry associations like Master Builders Queensland, unions such as the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, consumer advocates including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Queensland Council of Social Service. Education and training collaborations involved vocational providers accredited through the Australian Skills Quality Authority, tertiary institutions including the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology, and apprenticeships coordinated with groups such as TAFE Queensland and professional development offered alongside associations like the Australian Institute of Building.
Category:Defunct government agencies of Queensland