(How) can a building safety regulator help cure the UK's defects crisis?: analysing the current proposals in the light of Australia's experience

Abstract

This article seeks to provide insights into what the proposed (as of early 2020) UK Building Safety Regulator could achieve—and, the challenges it might face—based on the recent experience in Australia. It examines the role of a regulator within an effective regulatory regime for safe buildings; analyses what can so far be gleaned in relation to the UK proposal for a BSR; offers insights from the Australian experience, especially that relating to the Victorian Building Authority; and concludes by emphasising that a UK BSR needs to foster a shift in the culture that has permeated building safety in the UK and restore much-needed confidence in the building industry.