Thursday, 2 April 2026

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:16): Buying or building a home is the biggest purchase that most working people will ever make in their lifetimes. Victorians need and deserve to know that if something goes wrong, the government has their back, the problems will be fixed and dodgy builders will be held to account. They want and deserve certainty that their builder can finish the job. That is why we are introducing clear minimum financial requirements with the objective of making sure that builders who take on a job can finish it. Victorians want to know that their homes are going to be built safely with safe materials. That is why we established the Building and Plumbing Commission that is overseeing inspection blitzes, prosecuting unregistered builders and cracking down on noncompliant building work. Victorians want to know that if something goes wrong, they will not have to fix it themselves. That is why we are bringing in new rectification order powers, so if you find major defects, you will not have to fight for years in VCAT. The Building and Plumbing Commission will be able to compel a builder to fix these defects. We need to build homes to modern standards so that households are spending less on their bills and living more comfortably. That is why we are backing changes to the National Construction Code. Victoria will be the first state to bring forward lead-free plumbing. We are improving energy efficiency requirements to improve thermal performance, keeping homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter for less.

You would think that these were pretty uncontroversial reforms. But as usual, it takes a Labor government to get them done. And as usual, the Liberals and One Nation coalition could not bring themselves to support many of these changes being made in Parliament. These changes will be made despite the Liberal and One Nation coalition and not because of them. Recently some lobby groups chose to start a letter-writing campaign not about lead in drinking water or making homes more affordable but opposing gender-neutral toilets. Talk about turning your backs on Victorian home buyers – the very people they walked away from when they voted against our buyer protection legislation will ensure that the last thing they ever do is fight for Victorians.