The Opal and Mascot tower disasters locking hundreds of residents out of their homes because of dangerous structural cracking highlight a wider problem of major defects in newly built homes that has plagued Sydney for over two decades.

Following my questions in Parliament, the government released a discussion paper on its promised four changes to strengthen the building industry: to increase compliance reporting, require registration of more building practitioners, introduce an industry wide duty of care and appoint a building commissioner. I strongly support these moves but the devil will be in the detail, for example the building commissioner will need new resources rather than being subsumed in the existing Fair Trading budget and the duty of care must be retrospective to protect the thousands of home owners currently struggling to get redress.

I will assess the discussion paper and follow up with government and I encourage everyone with experience with defects to make a submission by 24 July: HERE.