I Could not agree more with this article.
What do you think?
https://sourceable.net/cutting-red-tape-cause-effect-urgent/
Browse Forums Building Standards; Getting It Right! 1 Aug 19, 2016 8:26 pm I Could not agree more with this article. What do you think? https://sourceable.net/cutting-red-tape-cause-effect-urgent/ Re: Falling Standards 2Aug 19, 2016 10:06 pm Self regulation of the building Industry and public building authorities are letting the public down! Here is a post I did a few weeks ago showing that over 23% of plumbing installations in Victoria have problems. (http://anewhouse.com.au/2016/07/plumbin ... y-problems) I don't see anyone on the Victorian Building Authority Board who is really representing the Customers! The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Falling Standards 3Aug 20, 2016 8:46 am As one of the 5 percent of home owners adversely affected by the defective building control industry in Victoria, I wholeheartedly agree with this article. I have also been dealing with the VBA for the past 2 and a half years and can testify that their processes are longwinded and inscrutable. Despite the fact that you have only to look at our slab to see that it is not high enough to accommodate an overflow relief gully in the position in which it was placed, the building surveyor has not yet been brought to account for passing our slab. When I questioned the VBA over this, I was told that they ie the public servant overseeing my case, have no expertise in the matter and rely on their technical panel. This has now meant that my case has had to go back to the panel for a review. I don't hold out much hope for the outcome. Although our house does not comply with the building regulations, it is basically our problem albeit not as devastating a problem as for some of the homeowners mentioned in the article. Re: Falling Standards 4Aug 20, 2016 11:06 am The VBA replaced and amalgamated the disgraced Victorian Building Commission and the Victorian Plumbing Industry Commission 3 years ago yet it was set up as a toothless tiger. The opportunity was there to have a new regulatory structure that was all it should be yet the Victoria building industry is still a basket case riddled with incompetence, dishonesty, no ethical standards and little accountability. Who was ultimately responsible for this regulatory oversight blight? 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Falling Standards 6Sep 06, 2016 1:23 am Ha! Mister no show Matthew Guy. 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Falling Standards 7Sep 06, 2016 6:14 pm I am seriously questioning what purpose the VBA serves apart from giving consumers the false impression that there is a body overseeing building in this state. If it disappeared tomorrow would anything change? Re: Falling Standards 8Sep 07, 2016 7:47 am Liliana I am seriously questioning what purpose the VBA serves apart from giving consumers the false impression that there is a body overseeing building in this state. If it disappeared tomorrow would anything change? When nearly 40 years ago I joined Housing Commission as a young QS on my first day orientation I was told by senior QS that their Bills of Quantities were up to 400% out, that 10 percent of staff tried to do something, another 10% sabotaged first 10% and the remainder used what little talent they got to plan RDOs and invent ways not to come to work. I dutifully rejected 40K (in 1978 that was a lot of money) variation claim by builder because on my interpretation of contract and site measurements he was not entitled to it. However several days later after builders lunch with commissioner I was overruled and the claim was paid. I knew I wasn't going to waste my life in a place like that and soon after I went on to manage a building company. Was Building Commission any different? I had BC engineer on site that did not know house frame member terminology, a building surveyor that I had to teach BCA ground levels requirements, technical office that did not want to know about lack of flexible joints on reactive sites (because it was plumbing matter).They too wined and dined building industry representatives forming improper relationships with very entities they were meant to regulate. In over a decade of helping people let down by BC I have not once heard a good thing. My pet name for BC was "reject commission'" why? because true to " Australia's got no talent"it was a home to industry rejects that otherwise would have no job. Now they have a new name, promoted to jobs above their competence with fancy titles and of course higher pay. What do they do? Read my first paragraph Rejoice for you are taken to another meaningless ride to nowhere. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Falling Standards 9Sep 07, 2016 7:56 am I notice that Tasmania has no equivalent of the VBA. The Department of Justice has carriage of licensing and accreditation and handles complaints. So far I haven't noticed too many Tasmanians on here complaining about their builder. Maybe that's because the building industry there is too small or because word gets around. Re: Falling Standards 10Sep 12, 2016 12:27 pm Liliana I notice that Tasmania has no equivalent of the VBA. The Department of Justice has carriage of licensing and accreditation and handles complaints. So far I haven't noticed too many Tasmanians on here complaining about their builder. Maybe that's because the building industry there is too small or because word gets around. I don't have experience in Tassie, only my own extension as OB and that went well, however I have noticed points of difference which I am happy to share. One major point is that as OB you have to engage registered building designer for your plans (I am not sure if that applies for registered builders as well) In Vic you can do your own. I regularly see poor quality of design by project builders(not even capable of placing brick articulation joints in the right place, and don't start me on levels))so from customers point of view they would be better off if project builders as well were forced to use independently registered building designers. The other point was that structural inspections were by an engineer and not building inspector, I don't have a problem with that. That's about it Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Falling Standards 11Sep 14, 2016 10:31 am In the building industry, penalties invariably do not befit the 'crime'. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/sout ... 8f9746bc56 The Whirlpool thread mentioned in the article is linked below. https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-r ... ?t=2087160 3in1 Supadiverta. Rainwater Harvesting Best Practice using syphonic drainage. Cleaner Neater Smarter Cheaper Supa Gutter Pumper. A low cost syphonic eaves gutter overflow solution. Re: Falling Standards 12Sep 15, 2016 9:00 am This is the sort of $hit I deal with every week Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Can you believe builder's response? "This item is not a pre pour issue. This item cannot be completed in a practical way until the slab has been poured. The footings cannot be protected if the are yet to exist. Once the slab has been poured we will ensure the slab has the correct grading away from the slab and ensure we meet the VBA requirements of 70mm over the first meter. We will also ensure there is no water ponding next to the slabs footing." Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Falling Standards 13Sep 22, 2016 9:28 pm Most cases the photo taken on the day is usually different to what's onsite the following days Re: Falling Standards 14Oct 12, 2016 8:21 pm building-expert This is the sort of $hit I deal with every week Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Can you believe builder's response? "This item is not a pre pour issue. This item cannot be completed in a practical way until the slab has been poured. The footings cannot be protected if the are yet to exist. Once the slab has been poured we will ensure the slab has the correct grading away from the slab and ensure we meet the VBA requirements of 70mm over the first meter. We will also ensure there is no water ponding next to the slabs footing." I often give up on certain defects as it's the clients choice to pick the cheapest builder and turn a blind eye to it. I went and did a defects inspection 1 year ago, advice them to change builder, they called me last week and want me to do a hand over inspection with the same builder, all I know is that the same defects are still there!!!! Re: Falling Standards 15Oct 12, 2016 8:25 pm Falling Standards 17Nov 21, 2016 7:59 pm Wonder what legal responsibilities the private inspector has if he was paid by the client and missed this Re: Falling Standards 18Nov 22, 2016 4:48 pm Narrewarren01 Wonder what legal responsibilities the private inspector has if he was paid by the client and missed this Private inspector has a duty of care to report on all significant issues within meaning of AS4349.0 Inspection of buildings, or AS4349.1 if it is a pre purchase report or AS4349.3 for timber pest report If then there is negligence there should be PI insurer that owner can contact for redress. Insurer will invesigate and if it is satisfied that item of significance has been missed it will allow the claim. If you engage private inspector without PI, you could be whistling Dixie. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Falling Standards 20Nov 26, 2016 4:21 pm Narrewarren01 No liability for staged inspections The first standard I quoted is for building inspections Yes there is liability for negligence for any inspection that inspector does. However you have got to remember that if there is significant defect during construction, builder is responsible whether it is discovered or not. So if your inspector misses a significant defect your builder still has to fix it and the measure of damage against inspector is your loss in him not picking it up earlier. Perhaps proper value of loss is refund of inspection fee but every case is different. Lot of people misunderstand the nature of PI. It is not insurance against everything, its against negligence. So if your inspector performed dilligent inspection but something is hidden from him its not negligence. If he should have looked under sub floor but did not its negligence. Similarly if your inspector has given you a considered advice he may not be negligent if the advice turns out to be wrong or if it turns out that it could have been better. Make sure your inspector has PI Satisfy yourself about qualifications, experience, track record, equipment, references If you want a cheap inspection dont complain you are sailing on a cheap boat. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Building Standards; Getting It Right! Don't think they are designed for double brick. WA has a particular way of building and unfortunately that's the way a large amount of sills are finished. 3 6986 I believe this is correct. From the picture you can see the power was put in last so the electrician knew where the water was. Really it's a common sense issue more… 4 5139 2 8613 |