“This sudden resignation leaves the NSW Government’s commitment to building reform in limbo. The industry deserves an explanation about the timeline and process for replacing the Buildings Commissioner.”
Petinos’ office said the minister was on leave and referred questions about Chandler to the department.
Chandler said earlier this year that he had extended his contract until September 2023. Credit: Kate Geraghty
Owners Corporation Network chief executive Karen Stiles said Chandler was well-respected and had “led massive reforms during his tenure in an attempt to restore consumer confidence”.
He said the news of his departure was “terribly sad”. “NSW had a chance every generation to do better.”
Chandler became an outspoken critic of dodgy building work and helped drive a wave of reforms designed to restore confidence in apartment buildings in NSW.
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Among the reforms were broad new powers for Chandler to inspect works, prevent the issue of certificates of occupation, call for documents and order the rectification of serious defects and the recovery of associated costs.
Other changes include tightening requirements for designers, engineers and builders working on new residential apartment buildings. Chandler also helped introduce a star rating system for developers.
His next focus is Project Remediate, a scheme to replace flammable cladding in residential apartment buildings.
Announcing Chandler’s appointment in 2019, Berejiklian said in a press release that his new role showed the government’s commitment to implementing “the biggest overhaul of building laws in the state’s history”.
Chandler previously managed high-profile building projects including Sydney’s Quay Apartments, Parliament House in Canberra and Melbourne’s South Bank, according to the NSW Office of the Building Commissioner.
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1989 for services to the construction industry.
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