New procurement guidelines for building and construction industry

The Australasian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC) has launched new procurement guidelines for the construction and building sector. 

The guide is expected to better protect householders from faulty materials and products and help ensure peace of mind about one of their most significant investments - their home.

The APCC ‘Procurement of Construction Products - A guide to achieving compliance’ (the Guide) has been jointly developed by 30 key construction industry stakeholders and supported by many others. 

The recent recall of flammable faulty electrical wiring (ACCC announcement) already installed in about 40,000 homes reminded everyone of the need for faulty material to be identified early on before it made its way to the market, said the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry Bob Baldwin.

“Architects, engineers, builders, contractors, project managers, building surveyors, certifiers, building owners, renovators and hardware suppliers will benefit from the free guide because it highlights how to identify non-compliant building and construction products,” Baldwin said.

“The guide explains in clear terms what factors to consider in the procurement process in order to ensure building products meet an acceptable level of quality and compliance. This guide has been a great example of industry mapping out the issues and demystifying the pathways to better building and construction product procurement.”

Teresa Scott, Executive Director of the APCC said: the guide fills an existing void by providing a solid non-regulatory and invaluable tool for the procurement of construction products in Australia and providing a level of confidence for all stakeholders involved in building and construction project delivery.

Faulty building material can be reported to the ACCC. The guide is available free of charge at www.apcc.gov.au.