Bronwyn Weir, Managing Director of Weir Legal and Consulting and co-author of the Building Confidence Report and Associate Professor Dr Matthew Bell, Co-Director of Studies at the Melbourne Law School, join the conversation to unpack major reforms reshaping Victoria’s residential building system. Both bring deep expertise in construction law and regulatory design, with a focus on how building regulation impacts consumers, practitioners, and industry accountability. 

In this episode, Bronwyn and Matthew explore the drivers behind Victoria’s building reforms, including past system failures, combustible cladding, and weaknesses in regulatory oversight. They discuss the transition from the Victorian Building Authority to the new Building and Plumbing Commission, the introduction of first resort insurance, expanded rectification and enforcement powers, and the new building system objective focused on health and safety. The conversation also examines whether these reforms will meaningfully improve outcomes, shift industry behaviour, and rebuild trust in the construction sector. 

Resources and links:

Bronwyn Weir on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwyn-weir-3076671a/  

Matthew Bell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-bell-b69a2a7/  

Connect:

The Society of Construction Law Australia website: https://www.scl.org.au/

The Society of Construction Law Australia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/society-of-construction-law-australia/

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by the Society of Construction Law Australia (SoCLA). The content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, or other advice. Listeners should consider their own circumstances and seek appropriate advice from qualified professionals before acting on any information contained in this podcast.

This show is produced in collaboration with SoundCartel. Visit soundcartel.com.au for more information.