The government has announced an opportunity for builders to redevelop outdated public housing in inner Melbourne.

Interested parties are invited to take part in the Registration of Capability (ROC) and establish partnerships among construction companies, community housing associations, design firms and financiers to deliver revitalised, affordable, mixed-tenure social housing.

The sites considered as part of the Public Housing Renewal Program include:

• Northcote
• Brunswick West
• Heidelberg West
• North Melbourne
• Prahran
• Clifton Hill.

The renewal of Flemington Estate and Stokes Penola in Preston are also included as part of the process.

The ROC is the first stage in the process and allows parties to identify their preferred sites and demonstrate their ability to deliver a finished renewal project. Following a thorough assessment, applicants will be shortlisted and move through to the next phase. Construction on the sites is expected to start from early- to mid-2018. Residents will be assisted during the temporary relocation and will retain the right to return to the revitalised homes.

Further sites in regional and inner Melbourne are expected to be developed in the future as part of the renewal program.

UPDATE:

An information session will be held on Thursday for builders to learn more about the project. Details about the session are as follows:

Date: Thursday 1 June 2017

Time: 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm (AEST)

Location: Level 27, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

RSVP: [email protected]

Click here to view the government media release.

 

New building legislation changes passed

The Building Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2017 has been passed by Parliament. Some new changes may affect your rights and duties of building practitioners.

A number of sections of the newly passed legislation changes come into effect immediately.

As explained by the VBA, these include:

• An indictable offence provision under section 16B of the Act that affects people and companies in the business of building (including those who manage or arrange the carrying out of building work):
o They must not carry out building work for which a building permit is required if they know that a building permit is required to carry out that work and that a building permit to carry out that work is not in force
o They must not carry out building work if they know the building work is not being carried out in accordance with the Act, building regulations or the building permit issued in relation to that work.

• Any offence that applies to a builder applies to each member of a partnership that is a builder, even if the member is not a builder themselves.

• Conflict of interest provisions introduced for private building surveyors in 2016 have been extended to include municipal building surveyors.

• A new schedule 10 to the Act contains transitional provisions giving the VBA the ability to register a company or body corporate already engaged in building work as a registered building practitioner subject to meeting certain criteria. It is anticipated that these changes will take effect from 1 July 2018 and the VBA will provide further advice before any action is required.

These changes are part of a four-year reform program that commenced in 2016. Other changes contained in the Building Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2017 will take effect in stages, through to 2019.

For fact sheets and more information on the changes visit vba.vic.gov.au We will keep you up to date on more changes as they take shape.