25 November, 2025
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (16:25): I rise to speak in support of the bill. I understand this bill will introduce harsher penalties for dodgy builders. It will introduce new offences for undertaking unlicensed building work and penalise builders who falsely hold out to be licensed builders. It will introduce a new offence to prohibit contractors from hiring unlicensed subcontractors.
It will further improve consumer protections by providing Consumer and Business Affairs with greater enforcement tools to support compliance and protect home owners who have been preyed upon by these dodgy builders. I hope this bill stamps out these shoddy builders who have no place in the industry and restores public confidence in smaller builders in the state.
The Greens have also been advocating for the establishment of a public builder, which could step in and complete construction of private builds in circumstances where a builder has gone bust. Under our proposal, the state would acquire an equity stake in the home, which the home owner could pay down over time. I do think it is really unfortunate that we have home owners who have been caught high and dry in circumstances where private builders go bust.
Really, the state has an obligation to do something to help those people. After all, these are people who could potentially lose their life savings and be left literally high and dry, waiting for a house to be completed by a builder who is not in a position to do so. So I do urge the government to consider that proposal, but this building and construction bill is a good start and I am happy to support it on that basis.