Future of Government Contracts, Building Quality, Liveable Apartment design, Release of the Draft ACT Building Act.
13 July, 2015
“In Victoria, NSW and Queensland, governments not continuing contracts signed by their predecessors, hopefully, has not become a formula for governments leadership of infrastructure, building design and procurement.
In the ACT, the future of contracts over a substantial light-rail project are at issue.
The consequences of politicisation of many long-term projects is well documented:
- it costs the taxpayer when contracts are cancelled;
- it damages industry confidence at a time when it is needed most;
- it raises risk issues; and,
- it debilitates long-term strategic planning, the design and procurement process.
The key to retaining long-term focus is strategy. Strategies are defined in government policy. A constant reinforcement of progress towards a vision and the development of clear objectives broken down to three to four-year milestones to overcome political cycles are necessary tactics to achieve building projects.”[1]
If Canberra is to be competitive, creative and not to be held back by short-term decisions, if design of the built environment “is to be depoliticised, a broader understanding of the relationship between initial capital investment cost and the long term economic benefit is essential,”[2] equitable engagement contracts and, a strategic approach to design and construction procurement are required.
Measures to improve apartment design quality has been in discussion and action over the last 5 years. They include:
- amendment to the ACT Building Act, in an attempt to improve quality by legislated penalty of building industry participants; or,
- the adoption of informed government policies and guidelines, available at the projects outset, that illustrate to development proponents and the community high quality design outcomes.
The Institute is preparing a ‘Liveable Apartment Design Policy’ to advocate for a policy and guideline to improve apartment design quality. The policy and guideline will be informed by metric evidence of beneficial outcomes: cost – in construction; in energy use; in resale value; in user satisfaction; in design and built outcome quality.
The NSW Government has implemented their Department of Planning’s review of SEPP 65. In the new SEPP all the key positive elements have been retained and modifications are in the main, in line with the Institute’s recommendations. The key change is that the Residential Flat Design Code will now be a guideline, rather than a set of instructions. Some approval authorities were using the code metrics like a checklist, whereas they were only ever intended as quantified illustrations of the SEPP’s design principles.
To the amendment to the ACT Building Act, Chapter Council and the Practice Committee will welcome members comment. We understand its released is imminent.
[1] Consult Australia. Keith, Kevin. Published on Linked In, July 2015
[2] Op cit