Building industry burdened with local laws

The regulatory burden faced by the building industry as a result of inconsistent local laws applying to building sites is the subject of a new government discussion paper released last week. Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell recently released the Better Practice Building Site Management discussion paper, which aims to help reduce the amount of building regulations imposed by different councils. The Local Government Act 1989 gives local governments the authority to make and enforce local laws relating to a range of matters, including building site management. ‘‘Inconsistent local laws covering building site management are an unnecessary burden on the building industry and on consumers,’’ Mrs Powell said. ‘‘Currently Victorian councils have different legal requirements for the provision of safety fencing, hours of work, on-site-bins, council asset protection, litter prevention and other matters. ‘‘By harmonising and standardising local laws we can reduce the amount of red tape entangling the building industry, deliver better outcomes for consumers and improve the effectiveness of local laws. ‘‘I urge all interested stakeholders to read the discussion paper and make a submission.’’ The Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission in the inquiry into Streamlining Local Government Regulation Draft Report also identified the cost of inconsistent building site local laws. The discussion is paper now available on the LGV website and is open for formal comment until February 29. To view the paper, visit www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/ localgovernment/projects-and-programs