Builders’ Registration
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WRITTEN QUESTIONS
11th Assembly
16/02/2010
81. Builders’ Registration
Ms Purick to MINISTER for Lands and Planning
QUESTION
ANSWER
Answered on 21/06/2010
Since the commencement of builders’ registration in July 2006, could you advise:
WRITTEN QUESTIONS
11th Assembly
16/02/2010
81. Builders’ Registration
Ms Purick to MINISTER for Lands and Planning
QUESTION
- Since the commencement of builders’ registration in July 2006, could you advise:
2. How many registrations were for restricted and how many for unrestricted builders’ licenses for all the regions.
3. How many builders’ registrations applications for registrations for both restricted and unrestricted were denied for the regions.
4. What were the reasons given for denial of registration.
5. How many building certifiers are registered for all regions in both residential and unrestricted.
6. How many complaints have been made against builders for each region, how many were investigated, and how many were disciplined.
7. How many complaints were dismissed.
8. How many complaints are currently being investigated.
9. How many builders have been struck off the registration list.
10. When was the last builder to be de-registered and for what reasons.
11. What is the average time to investigate a complaint against a builder and what is the cost.
12. How many personnel are allocated to handle investigations.
13. How many codes of practice have been developed by the Builders Practitioners Board.
ANSWER
Answered on 21/06/2010
Builders’ Registration
Since the commencement of builders’ registration in July 2006, could you advise:
- 1. How many builders are registered in the Northern Territory by main region being, Darwin (including Palmerston and the rural areas), Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs to carry out work on residential properties.
- As of 24 February 2010, the total number of Building Contractor Residential (Individual and Company, Restricted and Unrestricted) registered by the Building Practitioners Board by region is summarized in the following table:
Restricted | Unrestricted | ||
Region | Indiv. | Comp. | Indiv.Comp.Total |
Darwin | 349 | 134 | 9360636 |
Katherine | 16 | 9 | 0025 |
Tennant Creek | 3 | 3 | 006 |
Alice Springs | 80 | 27 | 23112 |
Interstate | 31 | 6 | 36376 |
Total | 479 | 179 | 13166855 |
2. How many registrations were for restricted and how many for unrestricted builders’ licenses for all the regions.
- Please refer to table at Question 1.
3. How many builders’ registrations applications for registrations for both restricted and unrestricted were denied for the regions.
- The number of refusals for Building Contractor registration by the Building Practitioners Board from commencement of registration in 2006 until the last Board meeting on 10 February 2010, broken down by region and category are as follows:
Restricted | Unrestricted | ||
Region | Indiv. | Comp. | Indiv.Comp.Total |
Darwin | 43 | 4 | 30481 |
Katherine | 1 | 0 | 203 |
Tennant Creek | 0 | 0 | 202 |
Alice Springs | 10 | 0 | 3013 |
Interstate | 9 | 1 | 15227 |
Total | 63 | 5 | 526126 |
- The provision of reasons for the denial of each application requires an extensive search of all Board meeting minutes and this has not been undertaken. The Building Practitioners Board is required to assess applications for registration against criteria set out in the Minister’s Determination Relating to Building Practitioners (available at www.nt.gov.au/bpb/forms
Reasons for refusal are:
o the applicant is unable to provide proof of recent relevant building experience; and/ or
o no equivalent category – Some states issue conditional or restricted registration which do not equate with the Northern Territory registration categories.
5. How many building certifiers are registered for all regions in both residential and unrestricted.
- As of 24 February 2010 the number of Building Certifiers registered by the Building Practitioners Board by category and region are as follows:
Region | Residential | Unrestricted | Total |
Darwin | 6 | 24 | 30 |
Katherine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tennant Creek | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Alice Springs | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Interstate | 1 | 19 | 20 |
Total | 7 | 50 | 57 |
6. How many complaints have been made against builders for each region, how many were investigated, and how many were disciplined.
- There have been 74 complaints against Building Contractors Residential since July 2006. The breakdown by region is Darwin 57, Alice Springs 15, and Katherine 2.
All these complaints were investigated. To date two builders have been disciplined by the Building Practitioners Board, one builder in Alice Springs and one in Darwin.
7. How many complaints were dismissed.
- The term dismissed has a specific meaning in the Building Act. To respond to this question the term is taken to mean how many complaints have been closed. Closure can be through the complaint being found to be out of jurisdiction, resolved or referred to the Board or court.
As of 24 February 2010 the number of complaints closed is 38. The breakdown by region is: Darwin 31, Alice Springs 5 and Katherine 2.
8. How many complaints are currently being investigated.
- There are 36 investigations currently underway in the following areas: Darwin 26 and Alice Springs 10.
9. How many builders have been struck off the registration list.
- The Building Practitioners Board to date has not de-registered any Building Contractors.
10. When was the last builder to be de-registered and for what reasons.
- The Building Practitioners Board to date has not de-registered any Building Contractors.
11. What is the average time to investigate a complaint against a builder and what is the cost.
- The average time taken to investigate a complaint can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the case and the timely responses from builders and other related parties.
The budget allocated to the Audits and Investigation Unit is around $400 000 per year.
12. How many personnel are allocated to handle investigations.
- The Audits and Investigation Unit consists of four positions, comprising of a manager and three case officers.
In addition to this, other branch officers support the case officers as required.
13. How many codes of practice have been developed by the Builders Practitioners Board.
- The Building Practitioners Board has not developed a Code of Practice. However the Board has developed a range of policies in relation to eligibility for registration (BPB-008 Net Tangible Assets Equivalency, BPB-006 Insurance, BPB-009 Inquiry Board procedures, BPN-010 Registration Policy for Building Contractors and BPB-011 Performance Reporting Systems). These are available at http://www.nt.gov.au/lands/building/boards/bpb/policies.shtml
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Last updated: 04 Aug 2016