National Review of Home Builders
Warranty Insurance and Consumer Protection

Appendix 1: Submissions to inquiry

Under each stakeholder grouping, submissions to the inquiry are listed in the order in which they were received.

Consumers

• Irene Onorati, President, Building Action Review Group Inc. (BARG), NSW

• C. Taylor, NSW

• M. & B. Subota, NSW

• F. Sooner, NSW

• J. Chen, NSW

• S. Vukojcic, NSW

• G. Allan, NSW

• W. Tinyow (jnr), NSW

• K. & G. Nicholl, NSW

• L. & G. Page, NSW

• M. Barry, NSW

• M. Holst, NSW

• C. & P. Frantziz, NSW

• J. Nix, NSW

• T. & C. Walsh, NSW

• E. J. Dean & C.T. Zeene, NSW

Building industry

• J. Kasbarian, Managing Director, Ferntree Homes

• B. Marcolina, Managing Director, Atrium Homes

• G. D. McLean, Executive Director, Qld. Master Builders Association

• R. Silberberg, Managing Director, Housing Industry Association

• White Brothers Builders

• J. Fransen, Chairman, Builders For Active Insurance Reform (BFAIR)

• D. Fleetwood, Managing Director, Fleetwood Timbers Pty Ltd.

• R.C. & L.A. Stryland

• S. Worthington, Worthingtons Building Consultancy

• B. Hovius, Hovius Joinery for Kitchens

• G. Foster, Director, Housing & Economics, Master Builders Association of WA.

• S. Nash, on behalf of a meeting of 58 builders in the Wagga Wagga area, NSW.

• B. Butlin, Butlin Homes Pty Ltd.

• G. Gordon, Housing Development Australia Pty Ltd

• J. Reilly

• B. Seidler, Executive Director, Master Builders Association of NSW

• J. BeBijl, Managing Director, Barnsley Joinery Works Pty Ltd

• F. Haley, Haley Constructions Pty Ltd

• A. & M. Menna, A&M Menna Constructions Pty Ltd

• M. Lewis, Furnishing Industry Association of Australia (Management Services) Ltd, NSW

• P. D. McTaggart, McTaggart Building Company Pty Ltd

• S. Vella, Sadee Designer Home Extensions

• H. J. Leeuw, Director, H.J.L. Constructions Pty Ltd, NSW

• M. Dale, Freedom Pools, NSW

• C. Lindstrom, Member of DOFT Building Advisory Council, NSW

• C. Charlwood, Charlwood Home Improvements Pty Ltd, NSW

• A. J. Fisher, NSW

• M. & J. Sutton, M. J. Sutton Building Contractors, NSW

• J. Sillan, The Building Specialists Pty Ltd, NSW

• A. Balman, A. P. Balman Constructions Pty Ltd, NSW

• I. A. Prentice, I.A. & F. Prentice, NSW

• N. Karahalios, Pacific Projects (Aust) Pty Ltd, NSW

• S. Dayus, Senior NSW Design Engineer, Multinail Australia Pty Ltd, NSW

• W. Harnisch, Deputy national Executive Director, Master Builders Australia.

• D. C. Hudson, Managing Director, Barclay Mowlem Construction Ltd, NSW

• S. Lynch, Director, Skydome Holdings Ltd, NSW

• K. Cooper, Ken Cooper Builder, NSW

• E. Ford, Ford Homes, NSW

• B. Wheeler, General Manager, Institute of Strata Title Management Ltd, NSW

• F. White, Homestead Kitchens & Joinery Pty Ltd, NSW

• M. Kerschbaum, Manager, Technical Services, Master Builders Association of Tas.

• P. J. Tyler, Executive Director, Building and Construction Council, NSW Inc

• J. Gaffney, Executive Director, Housing Industry Association Ltd, Vic. Region, Vic.

• A. Frisoli, Yatooma Pty Ltd, NSW

• N. Anshaw, Director, Hi-Craft Home Improvements Pty Ltd, NSW

• E. DuPlessis, President, Air Conditioning Dealer Association, NSW

• R. Davidson

• J. Tyrrell, Tyrrell's Property Inspections, NSW

Insurance industry

• M. Lever, Manager, External Relations, Statutory Classes Policy, NRMA Insurance Ltd, NSW

• D. Gentry, LBA Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Vic.

• T. Stinton, Director, Builders Warranty, Dexta Corporation Ltd, Vic.

• A. Mason, Executive Director, Insurance Council of Australia, NSW

• M. Huntly, National Manager, Warranty & Construction, Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Australia Ltd

• M. Nugent, Managing Director, Reward Insurance Ltd, Vic.

• I. Jennings, General Manager, Building Services Authority, Qld

• N. M. Vickery, Deputy Managing Director, Heath Lambert Group, SA

• S. Palyga, Lynch Meyer (Housing Lawyers), SA

Government

• P. Walker, Executive Director, Consumer Protection, Dept. of Consumer and Employment Protection, WA

• R. Antioch, General Manager, Compliance Strategies, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, ACT

• G. Faulkner, General Manager, Wagga Wagga City Council, NSW

• N. Lilley, Registrar, Builders' Registration Board of WA

• G. Brunner, General Manager, Policy Development and Statistics, Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority, NSW

• J. Gronow, Executive director, Lands and Planning, Northern Territory Government, NT

• B. Taylor, Executive Director, Local Government and shires Associations of NSW

Others

• R. B. Turtle, Corporate ScoreCard Pty Ltd - Financial Assessors, NSW

• K. Cull, President, The Law Society of NSW, NSW

• S. A. Y. Smith, NSW

• P. Coombs, Building Industry Writer, Sydney Morning Herald, NSW

• B. Whitefield, Director, Risk Management Partners Pty Ltd, NSW

Appendix 2: Stakeholders interviewed

Consumers

• F. Guthrie (Qld. ACA)

• Building Action Review Group: I. Onorati (President) (Note: Other members of BARG interviewed individually shown below).

• B. Noake,

• J. Nix,

• S. Vukojcic,

• W. Tinyow (jnr),

• K. Nichill,

• S. Martin,

• S. Stevens,

• K. Frantziz,

• T. Walsh,

• M. Rojas,

• G. Eather,

• G. Granata,

• G. Page,

• S. Tropoulos.

Building industry

• P. Meredith, MBA - NSW, Sydney

• G. McLean, P. Osterhage & a group of builders, MBA - Qld, Brisbane

• W. Temby, HIA - Qld, Brisbane

• B. Gardner, HIA - SA, Adelaide

• R. Stewart, D. Callan & a group of builders, MBA - SA, Adelaide

• M. McLean & G. Forster & a group of builders, MBA - WA, Perth

• B. Welch, R. de Silva, D. Hudson & a group of builders, MBA - Vic, Melbourne

• C. Atkins & M. Kerschbaum, MBA - Tas, Hobart

• W. Russell, MBA - North Tas., Launceston

• P. Geeves, P. Harback, & other office bearers, HIA - Tas., Hobart

• R. Silberberg, S. Goodwin & S. McCartin, HIA - Aust., Canberra

• W. Harnisch & J. Murray, MBA - Aust., Canberra

• J. Howard, S. Gevagna (solicitor) & A. Mills (builder), MBA - ACT, Canberra

• J. Johannsen, Johannsen & Associates Architects, Sydney

• A. Protas, Anthony Protas Consulting (Private Building Certifier), Sydney

• E. DuPlessis, Air Conditioning Dealer Association, Sydney*

• D. Hovius, Hovius Kitchens, Sydney*

• M. Lewis, Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, Sydney*

Insurance industry

• A. Mason, Insurance Council of Australia, Sydney

• N. Kirk & M. Huntly, Royal SunAlliance, Sydney

• T. Stinton, Dexta Corporation, Melbourne

• C. Wright, M. McCosker and I. White, BSA, Brisbane

• N. Vickery, Heath Lambert Group - SA, Adelaide

• D. Pascoe & A. Johnston, Insurance Commission - WA, Perth

• D. Cameron, Insurance Council of Australia - WA, Perth

• M. Nugent, Reward Insurance, Melbourne

• M. Stokes, Housing Guarantee Fund - Vic, Melbourne

• G. Willis, SCOR Re, Sydney

• B. Thomas, Swiss Re, Sydney

• B. Cairns & M. Alphandary, Gerling Global Re, Sydney

• P. Nickerson, Employers Re, Sydney

Government

• P. Crawford, Chairman, 1995 Inquiry into Outstanding Grievances with the Building Services Corporation - NSW, Sydney

• D. O'Conner, J. Schmidt, L. Baker & C. Aird, Fair Trading - NSW, Sydney

• M. Miller, Fair Trading - Qld, Brisbane

• D. Allan, B. Dalton & J. Leitch, National Competition Policy Review of BSA - Qld, Brisbane

• M. Bodycoat & J. Hughes, Business & Consumer Affairs - SA, Adelaide

• P. Walker, R. Elkin, G. Newcombe, W. Mitchell, Consumer Protection - WA, Perth

• N. Lilley & V. Websdane, Builders Registration Board - WA, Perth

• J. Norton & R. Bradford, Building Control Commission - Vic., Melbourne

• B. Steele, A. McGuigian & L. Goodes, Fair Trading - Vic., Melbourne

• A. Nye, Treasury & Finance - Vic., Melbourne

• R. Omerod, P. Marriott, G. Anderson, Consumer Affairs & Fair Trading - Tas., Hobart

• G. Brunner & A. Lumsden, APRA, Sydney

• J. Harris, R. Temperley, A. Goodban & M. Dowdell, Treasury - Cth, Canberra

• G. Ryan, Builders Licensing Australia, Canberra*

• T. Atkinson, Urban Services - ACT, Canberra*

• D. Griffith & F. Finiocchiaro, Lands, Planning and Environment - NT, Darwin*

• J. Prince, Treasury - NT, Darwin*

• R. O'Sullivan, Consumer & Business Affairs - NT, Darwin

• J. Pinney & J. Gronow, Lands, Planning & Environment - NT, Darwin

Others

• P. Coombs, Building Industry Writer, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney

• Prof. A. Witherby, Centre for Local Government, University of New England, Armidale

• J. Thorpe, The Allen Consulting Group, Sydney (Consultants to Vic. Govt.)

• R. Mellor & F. Gelber, BIS Shrapnel Building Industry Prospects Conference, March 2002 Sydney

• B. Whitefield, Risk Management Partners, Sydney

• R. Jochelson, Kingsway Financial Assessments Pty Ltd, Sydney

• G. Jochelson, involved in initiating NSW Building and Construction Security of Payments Act 1999, Sydney

• J. Fallon, Economic Insight (Consultant to NCP Inquiry into BSA, Qld), Brisbane

• C. James, Project Officer, Joint Select Committee on the Quality of Buildings, NSW Parliament.

*Phone conversation or email correspondence

Stakeholder Focus Group Meeting

On Monday 27 May 2002 the National Inquiry convened a `focus group' meeting of a small, but representative sample of key stakeholders to `road test' the preliminary findings and recommendations of the review. Attendees agreed to respect the confidentiality of the proceedings since a final report had not yet been submitted to the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs.

Those invited to participate in the focus group were:

• Consumer Groups:

• Fiona Guthrie, Qld Consumers Association (absent)

• Irene Onarati, BARG

• Building Industry:

• Ron Bracken, BFAIR

• Wilhelm Harnisch, MBA

• Ron Silberberg, HIA

• Jerry Tyrrell, Tyrell Property Inspections

• Insurance Industry:

• Michael Huntly, RSA

• Vicki Mullen, ICA

• Peter Nickensen, Employers' Re

• Col Wright, QBSA

• Government:

• Lois Goodes, Office of Consumer and Business Affairs, Vicoria

• Matt Miller, Dept. of Fair Trading, Qld (absent)

• Adrian Nye, Dept. of Treasury and Finance, Vicoria (absent)

• John Schmidt, Dept. of Fair Trading, NSW

• Official Observers:

• Mark Bodycoat, Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, SA and Chair, Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs

• David O'Connor, Director-General, Dept. of Fair Trading, NSW

• Michelle Dowdell, Commonwealth Treasury

Appendix 3: Relevant other inquiries

The following state and territory inquiries, dealing wholly or partly with home building warranty insurance, were brought to the National Inquiry's attention. Copies of most of these reports were obtained and used as background information.

• Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Inquiry into Home Building Amendment (Insurance) Act, Parliament of NSW, Inquiry started April 2002.

• Joint Select Committee on the Quality of Buildings, Parliament of NSW, Inquiry started March 2002.

• Consumer Protection and Industry Reform - Response to Changes in Builders' Warranty Insurance, Background Paper, Vicorian Building Commission, May 2002.

• Economic Insights Pty Ltd, Public Benefit Test - Queensland Building Services Authority Act 1991 and Regulations, Qld. Department of Housing, Feb. 2002.

• Internal Review of Building Indemnity Scheme, NT Government, March 2002.

• National Competition Policy Review of the Building Works Contractors' Act 1995 - Supplementary Review (of Building Indemnity Insurance Scheme), SA Government., Oct. 2001.

• Report of the Home Indemnity Insurance Forum on Options for Changes or Alternatives to the Current Scheme, Dept. of Consumer and Employment Protection, WA, Sept. 2001.

• Residential building Indemnity Scheme - Discussion Paper, Dept. of Lands, Planning and Environment, NT, Aug. 2001.

• V. Kirton, Review of Domestic Building Insurance Issues, Vicorian Building Control Commission (undated, but possibly 2001).

• Statutory Review of the Home Indemnity Insurance Scheme, Ministry for Fair Trading, WA, (Issues Paper and Draft Report), Nov. 1999, (Update) June 2001.

• National Building Framework, Builders Licensing Australia, Canberra, 1999.

• Residential Building Work Insurance Discussion Paper, Dept. of Urban Services, ACT, May 1998.

• Proposed Reforms of Home Building Industry, Dept. of Fair Trading, NSW, July 1996.

• Inquiry into Outstanding Grievances with the Building Services Corporation (Crawford Report), NSW, Dec. 1995.

• Review of Vicorian Housing Guarantee Fund, Parliamentary Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Vic., Sept. 1994.

• Home Building - Consumer Problems and Solutions, Trade Practices Commission, Cth, Nov. 1993.

• Inquiry into NSW Building Services Corporation (Dodd Report), Dept of Fair Trading, NSW, Feb. 1993.

Return to: National Review of Home Builders - Contents