Building stronger homes – 3rd MBA and ICA roundtable

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) and Master Builders Australia (MBA) will host the third Building Stronger Homes Roundtable at NSW Parliament House on Tuesday 20 April 2021.

The ICA and MBA convened the Roundtable series so both industries could lead the discussion on policy changes to make Australian homes more resilient.

The third Roundtable will focus on ways we can build new homes to better withstand extreme weather. The event will be attended by representatives from the property, real estate and architecture industries with guest speakers and panellists from the NSW Government, Standards Australia, Australian Building Codes Board, IAG and Sherridon Homes.

The forum will provide the building, insurance and aligned sectors the opportunity to identify initiatives to better protect homes.

The success of building resilience reform efforts requires effective and workable improvements to Codes, Standards and best practice information. Input from industry is critical to making this happen and bringing about a better system.

A better system is needed to mitigate disaster risk and safeguard consumers but must also support a sustainable building and construction industry.

Implementing the Building Confidence Report is critical to address compliance and enforcement processes in the building industry. Commitments from State and Territory building ministers to implement consistent reform responses in their jurisdictions will underpin the success of reforms to Codes and Standards.

ICA CEO Andrew Hall said the National Construction Code (NCC) needs to incorporate resilience as one of its objectives and adopt a position of improving the durability of homes into the future.

“Reducing the risk from the outset by ensuring the Codes and Standards take into account the resilience of homes, mitigation, infrastructure improvements and other measures will help to enhance national disaster resilience and recovery,” Andrew Hall said.

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said it is important that reforms to land planning are also made across the country to ensure homes are able to withstand the local natural hazard risks.

“Local and State Governments need to work together to reform their planning frameworks so there is better guidance for home owners about local natural hazard risks and what they can do to mitigate these,” Denita Wawn said.

The fourth and final Building Stronger Homes Roundtable will be held in June 2021.