As Australia works to address its housing shortage, the conversation has become dominated by one theme: speed. Governments are focused on streamlining approvals, cutting red tape and getting more homes built faster.

But the truth is, the real productivity challenge in our construction industry isn’t just how fast we can build – it’s how well we build.

Across the country, residents and regulators alike are seeing the long-term impact of poor construction quality. The recent warnings from engineers in Darwin about structural degradation in apartment towers, echoing earlier issues like the uninhabited 24-storey tower in Parramatta, are reminders of what happens when the system doesn’t function as it should. These are not isolated incidents; they represent the ongoing consequences for consumers when quality slips through the cracks.

The real cost of poor quality

When a building becomes unsafe or unlivable, it’s the consumer who pays the highest price. Families are left without homes, owners face financial and emotional stress, and entire communities lose confidence in the system that is supposed to protect them.

Defects cost Australia an estimated $2.5 billion every year, in wasted materials, labour, and housing supply that cannot be occupied. By comparison, the Productivity Commission’s own estimates suggest that deregulation and faster approvals might deliver $250 million in productivity gains annually. The math is simple: building better delivers ten times the gain of building faster.

We can’t rebuild trust in the housing market or restore productivity until we tackle the quality issue at its source.

Accountability that protects consumers

Improving productivity starts with strengthening accountability across the entire building ecosystem, not just one group or profession. Developers, builders, designers, surveyors and regulators all have a role to play in ensuring quality outcomes.

This is not about blame. It’s about recognising that every stage of the building process contributes to consumer protection. When one part of that chain weakens, everyone – from homeowners to the broader economy – pays the price.

We need regulators that are active and empowered to hold all parties accountable, ensuring that the system truly serves the people it’s meant to protect. We also need to make sure that building surveyors, who act as a crucial safety net, are empowered to do more than the legislative minimum. With the right authority and support, building surveyors can identify issues that have been missed by builders early, before they turn into costly and dangerous defects.

A stronger foundation for trust

At its heart, this is about rebuilding confidence – not just in buildings, but in the industry itself. One critical part of that puzzle is risk management. Since the collapse of HIH Insurance in 2001, builders have been unable to obtain insurance for defects, leaving consumers to shoulder that risk.

We cannot have a healthy, trustworthy housing system if insurers don’t have confidence in the quality of what’s being built. Reducing that risk means improving competence, consistency, and oversight across the entire sector. When we build with quality, insurers can once again price risk appropriately, and consumers can trust that their investment – often the biggest of their lives – is protected.

Learning from what we already know

In 2018, Professor Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir presented a landmark report to Australia’s Building Ministers outlining 24 recommendations to strengthen confidence and safety in the construction sector. Those recommendations covered licensing, supervision, enforcement, and national consistency.

Yet, nearly eight years on, implementation remains incomplete. The report’s final two recommendations were simply to establish an implementation plan and deliver it within three years – a reminder that our problem is not a lack of insight, but a lack of follow-through.

Consumers deserve better. They deserve homes built by qualified professionals, overseen by capable regulators, and supported by systems that prioritise safety and quality above speed.

The path forward

We cannot fix Australia’s housing challenge by cutting corners or reducing oversight. True productivity means building homes that last – homes that don’t require costly remediation, don’t sit empty, and don’t leave owners in limbo.

A nationally consistent system of registration and licensing, an empowered building surveying profession, and an active regulatory framework will deliver stronger, safer, more reliable housing outcomes for everyone.

About Jeremy Turner, Technical & Policy Manager:

Jeremy Turner has been Technical & Policy Manager at AIBS since 2016. With more than 25 years as an Accredited Level 1 Building Surveyor, he has brought extensive experience to AIBS after nearly two decades of voluntary service to the organisation.

Jeremy represents the profession on the Australian Building Codes Board’s Building Codes Committee, the Construction Product Alliance, Standards Australia committees and more. His expertise informs AIBS’s advocacy, regulatory submissions, and professional practice standards, making him a key voice in advancing safe, compliant buildings.