Chandler back as both commissioners return

Dodgy developers can re-cork their champagne – NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler is back in the saddle, ready to fulfil his extended contract until August next year.

And while the building commissioner has been focussed on raising standards for apartment blocks under construction, there’s also good news for owners and residents in existing buildings with serious defects.

As well as pushing ahead with Project Remediate – the program of flammable cladding replacement – the previously mooted Project Intervene, aimed at helping owners of apartments in existing blocks with serious defects, will get underway too.

Meanwhile Property Services Commissioner John Minns has also performed a swift 180 and is back in the Fair Trading fold, ready to work together with Mr Chandler and Customer Services and recently re-appointed Fair Trading Minister Victor Dominello.

This follows a chaotic month in Fair Trading during which the department’s Minister Eleni Petinos was sacked, allegedly over claims of bullying – which she denies – on the same day that an explosive letter from Mr Chandler arrived on Premier Dominic Perrottet’s desk.

In that letter, cutting short his tenure by nine months, Mr Chandler outlined his difficulties in implementing agreed legislation as well as his concerns over connections between Ms Petinos, former deputy Premier John Barilaro and a property developer with whom he was briefly employed.

Premier Perrottet has insisted that Mr Chandler’s resignation and the reasons for it had nothing to do with his decision to remove MS Petinos from the ministry. Prior to that Ms Petinos had immediately initiated an internal inquiry into dubious and ultimately unfounded claims by an Upper House member that Mr Chandler may have lied to parliament in a committee meeting.

But all that is in the past as Mr Dominello, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Small Business and Fair Trading, today announced that Mr Chandler would remain in his role until August 2023. 

“Mr Chandler is a highly respected industry leader and his commitment to the year ahead ensures we will maintain momentum in lifting customer confidence across residential building and construction in NSW,” Mr Dominello said.

“He has made significant contributions to building industry reform in this State and I am happy the work can continue under his leadership.

“In the year ahead, the focus will be on continued advocacy for industry change to deliver key projects, including Project Remediate and a new initiative known as Project Intervene, where we are working with the strata community to help rectify serious defects in existing buildings.”

Mr Dominello said Mr Chandler would work closely with returning Property Services Commissioner John Minns to progress industry reform, including across the strata sector. Mr Minns had also quit, leaving office with little fanfare earlier this month.

“This will be an important collaboration as the journey of establishing buildings transitions into what happens after they are built. Close engagement with strata communities, building managers and other service providers will inform the key areas we need to address,” Mr Dominello said.

Mr Chandler will move forward with both industry and consumers to advance ongoing and additional building reforms. This will include progressing Construct NSW, which focuses on six areas of industry reform: regulation, ratings, education, contracts, digital tools and data and research.

He said he was pleased to continue the progress that the industry had achieved thus far.

“Much has been achieved in the past two years but there is still more to be done to establish NSW’s residential building and construction market as the most trusted and customer-centric in the country,” Mr Chandler said. “I am looking forward to continuing the work we have started.”

Mr Dominello is clearly determined to restore the culture of reform and progress in Fair Trading before his own departure due to family health concerns at the state election, early next year.