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Experts assembled to review Victoria’s building system

Dame Judith Hackitt says plans for government to help pay for the removal of dangerous cladding are welcome but there is more to do.

Dame Judith Hackitt, a construction professional who led the review of high-rise regulation following the Grenfell Tower fire in London, will be part of an expert panel to review Victoria’s building system.

She will be part of a six-person panel that will provide recommendations to the State Government on a more efficient, responsive and updated Building Act.

Hackitt led the British Government’s review into the regulatory system in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy, in which 72 people lost their lives.

The panel will be chaired by Victoria’s Better Regulation and Red Tape Commissioner Anna Cronin, who brings more than 25 years of experience in policy development.

It will meet for the first time next year and include:

  • Anna Cronin – Chair and Commissioner for Better Regulation and Red Tape Commissioner
  • Dame Judith Hackitt – Chair of the UK Independent Review of Building regulations and Fire Safety and former Chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive
  • Lauren Solomon – CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre
  • Melanie Fasham – Past President of the Master Builders Association of Victoria and member of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee
  • Dr Gerry Ayers – Health and Safety Manager of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (Construction and General Division – Victorian/Tasmanian Branch)
  • Professor Ian Bailey AM SC – Founding Chair of the Society of Construction Law Australia and professorial fellow at the Melbourne Law School

Its first task is to establish overarching principles to guide the review of the building system and identify key themes to be investigated and addressed through the reform process.

The review will also address the recommendations of the Victorian Cladding Taskforce’s July 2019 Report and the Building Confidence report by Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir.

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“We’ve appointed experts from Victoria and around the world to help us deliver a better building system,” said Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne.

“Our building and construction sector underpins much of our growth and economic activity – so it makes sense to support this with a modern and effective legislative framework.”

“This panel has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is the first step towards delivering the most comprehensive review ever undertaken into Victoria’s building system.”

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