02/12/2023
Last week, the Victorian Government introduced laws in Parliament aimed at prohibiting builders from accepting deposits for Major Domestic Contracts without having the necessary insurance. The Building Legislation Amendment (Domestic Building Insurance New Offences) Bill 2023 seeks to ensure that consumers have insurance coverage before making any payments to a builder for domestic building projects exceeding $16,000.00. This legislative initiative is a response to the collapse of Porter Davis Homes and other domestic volume builders, which brought to light various problematic practices, including the failure of companies to secure the required insurance prior to accepting deposits under a Major Domestic Building Contract. The newly proposed offences carry penalties of up to $96,000.00 for individuals and $480,000.00 for companies if they fail to meet the insurance requirements. It provides some level of comfort consumers considering a new build project. For more information, read more here:
The Allan Labor Government is delivering on its promise to provide stronger protections to Victorians building or renovating their homes with the introduction of new legislation into the Victorian Parliament today.