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The Board

The Building Professionals Board is a statutory body that is responsible to the Minister for Planning. Its role is to accredit suitably qualified professionals as accredited certifiers to issue complying development, construction, compliance, occupation, subdivision and strata certificates. The Board also investigates complaints against accredited certifiers and audits certifiers and councils in their certification role. Through education and training of certifiers it aims to improve the professional practice of accredited (private) certifiers.

Accreditation of practitioners

Certifiers are drawn from a range of backgrounds including building surveying, building, engineering, land surveying, and planning. The Board ensures all accredited certifiers are subject to an independent and rigorous accreditation and audit process to give consumers confidence that their development or home is constructed in accordance with national building standards (the Building Code of Australia).

The Board oversees the work of about 382 certifiers (as at 21 October 2008) who are currently accredited in New South Wales. It does so through powers and resources to audit, educate, and investigate complaints against these certfiers.

Disciplinary powers

The Board has new powers to discipline accredited certifiers, which commenced 1 August 2008. The Department of Planning prepared a Circular outlining these changes.

The Board is able to impose fines up to $110,000 and suspend or cancel a certifier's accreditation. The Board can also order a certifier to pay compensation of up to $20,000 to a complainant. Further, a person who seeks to bribe a certifier or a certifier who accepts a bribe is subject to a possible penalty of 2 years imprisonment and/or a fine of $1.1m.

The Board is required to keep a register of disciplinary action taken against accredited certifiers under section 40 of the Building Professionals Act 2005 more >>

Education and training

Accredited certifiers

One of the responsibilities of the Board is to coordinate a continuing professional development (CPD) program for all accredited certifiers, which ensures that certifiers are keeping their certification skills and knowledge current. Each year, accredited certifiers are required to complete the activities required by the Board and concurrently maintain their professional organisation's CPD requirements (or their equivalent) in relation to their area(s) of specialisation.

The activities approved in the CPD program relate to ongoing training on such matters as the Building Professionals Act 2005, the Building Professionals Regulation 2007, the accreditation scheme and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and Regulation.

The Board can require certifiers or a group of certifiers to undertake other training as necessary.

All certifying authorities

The Board provides regular information to all certifying authorities (accredited certifiers and councils) through its quarterly bulletin. This includes information on legislative changes, best practice and upcoming developments.

Consumers

The Board also publishes information sheets and guides to help consumers know about the certification system of NSW and how to find a certifying authority for their partuicular development.