In my role as a CEO of Master Builders Association of Victoria, representing our large and well-regarded building and construction industry, I enjoy being able to offer something  slightly unexpected to a journalist who has asked for my view on interesting issues—especially when it happens to highlight a matter that should concern every builder in Victoria.

I was called recently by a radio host who was eager to discuss the fact that the just-released Victorian Auditor General Report indicated that nearly one third (28 per cent) of people in the course of their building or renovating projects have experienced problems, and that a high percentage of those incidents involved poor workmanship. Eager for a lively on-air discussion, he may have anticipated that I’d give a defensive reply, perhaps distracting from the findings. On the contrary.

“Radley, were you surprised by this statistic?” he asked.

“Not at all,” I said. “In fact, I welcome this report and the highlighting of the problem we have in this state.”

It’s true. The fact that Victoria does not require tradespeople to be registered, as long as they are working for a registered builder, presents a serious problem not just for builders, but for the communities they serve. Master Builders has long advocated for trades registration as critical to providing a service and product that delivers skilled craftsmanship, safety and an adherence to standards for quality. Our current lack of an adequate trades registration regime stands in high contrast to that of other states like New South Wales (with 40,000 registered tradespeople) and Queensland (nearly 50,000) that have mandatory registration requirements. Victoria, by comparison, has only 2000 registered tradespeople.

Even setting baseline competence and community trust issues aside, it’s important to note that volume builders who operate across state borders report much lower levels of productivity and higher costs in Victoria compared to the other states in which they perform their work.

The cost to our industry is dear. Greater levels of builder registration will enhance skills, productivity and improve the quality of construction– a win for both the industry and consumers.

Master Builders feels so strongly about this that we called for mandatory trades registration as one of the key initiatives we presented to the Victorian Government to ensure our industry remains strong by stimulating investment in construction projects and creating more jobs. Master Builders also continues to negotiate with the Government on the proposed builders legislation which was introduced to Parliament by the former government last year.

There is no need for me to feel defensive about the high occurrence of consumer dissatisfaction. Instead, as the CEO of Master Builders, I feel protective of your business. Rest assured that Master Builders will take issue with anything threatens to make it harder for you to get the work you’re after, and that we remain focussed on making certain your voice is heard by the decision makers in government.

Radley de Silva
CEO, Master Builders Association of Victoria