POPULAR WORDS

The Queensland Building Services Authority (QBSA) needs more resources to effectively handle complaints against building certifiers, delegates at the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) annual conference in Maryborough heard today. Delegates called on Local Government and Planning Minister Nita Cunningham to look at the current system of handling complaints and put forward a demerit point system with fines and penalties. Good performances would be rewarded with enhanced licenses and the creation of a disciplinary panel. Councils have already asked Cunningham to overhaul the current system of building certification, LGAQ president Noel Playford says. "There must be a better, more transparent and effective system to handle complaints and disciplinary action against private certifiers is this system is ever to be reliable and that means giving the Building Services Authority more resources to perform its obligations," Playford says. "The funds for these additional resources for the QBSA could be sourced from the state government budget or raised through a levy on all building applications as occurs in some other states." The conference is continuing.