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Recent history of certification

In 1997-1998 the NSW Government sought to achieve efficiency gains and increased choice and competition by giving private sector professionals a role in the development assessment process. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) was amended to enable these professionals to certify building works and subdivision works, provided that they had appropriate authorisation. Previously only councils could undertake this role. The benefits of the private certification system were reduced application response times, reduced holding costs associated with delays in the assessment process, and improvements in the service provided to applicants.

The 2002 Campbell Inquiry into the quality of buildings, conducted by a committee of Parliament, concluded that the building regulatory system in New South Wales was complex, poorly coordinated, poorly understood and lacking in professional rigour. The inquiry recommended increasing the Government's role in regulating builders and other practitioners in the building industry. It was then that the Building Professionals Branch (BPB) was established in the Department of Planning. A summary of the establishment of the Board is available here.

From 2002 to 2007, the BPB existed under the Department of Planning and it accredited building surveyors and related professionals under the Building Surveyors and Allied Professions (BSAP) accreditation scheme to issue certificates for development under the EP&A Act. The BPB also investigated complaints against BSAP certifiers and audited accredited certifiers and local councils in their certification role.

There were also three other bodies that could accredit certifiers and process complaints against the certifiers they accredited - Engineers Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Professional Surveyors' Occupational Association (see Former Accreditation Bodies for more information).

Building Professionals Board

The Building Professionals Act 2005 received assent on 7 December 2005, was proclaimed on 25 January 2007 and fully commenced on 1 March 2007. It establishes the Board as an independent statutory body, reporting to the Minister for Planning, which is responsible for:

• accrediting all accredited certifiers,
• investigating complaints against accredited certifiers,
• conducting audits of accredited certifiers and councils in their certification role, and
• improving professional practice through education and training

The Building Professionals Regulation 2007 was gazetted on 25 January 2007 and commenced on 1 March 2007.

The accreditation scheme for accredited certifiers, made under the Act, was gazetted on 2 February 2007 and also commenced on 1 March 2007.