On 13 September, Leanne Edwards, General Manager for Marketing, Policy and Communications, joined the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) Victoria Chapter Committee’s interactive panel session on Building Regulatory Reform at the Crown Promenade in Melbourne.

The interactive panel session was lively and productive; panel participants from across the industry provided their insight into building regulatory reform and answered questions from the audience. As part of the panel discussion, Leanne voiced Master Builders’ support for a national best practice model in the form of principles or benchmarks for the building and construction industry. This is a far more practical approach than complete harmonisation of Australia’s building regulatory system, given that states like Victoria have already undergone significant changes in building legislation.

Leanne also discussed Master Builders support for mandatory trade registration during the panel discussion, as well as the importance of pro-active education and awareness to encourage greater collaboration between industry and regulators. All these points were part of a wider message of the need to work together to find pragmatic solutions for the building and construction industry.