Western Australia is moving to introduce legislation that would expand the powers of the state Building Commissioner to intervene when building companies are in financial difficulty. Multiple outlets report that the proposed change is intended to reduce the risk that consumers are left waiting for their homes to be completed or face disruption when a builder’s financial position deteriorates.
The articles reference the experience of a homebuyer who reportedly spent about $100,000 waiting for a house to be built in WA. The case is presented as an example of the impact that occurs when building work is delayed or stalled. In response, the WA state government has announced it will pursue laws that give the Building Commissioner additional authority to stop companies from continuing to trade where they are considered financially unable to meet obligations.
While the reports focus on the consumer harm that can result from builder insolvency or financial trouble, they do not detail the full scope of the commissioner’s new powers or a timeline for implementation. The common point across sources is that the legislation is designed to enable earlier action by regulators to protect consumers and mitigate unfinished or delayed builds.
