West Australia's construction watchdogs will be given more bite, with mandatory inspections of new apartment buildings under proposed laws to bolster protections for home buyers.
The draft legislation, announced on Wednesday, is a response to recommendations from the 2018 national Building Confidence Report.
Commerce Minister Sue Ellery says the changes are the most significant reforms to WA's building laws in over a decade.
"The reforms will increase consumer protections, modernise the way buildings are designed, approved and constructed in WA, and provide peace of mind that our buildings are safe and constructed to the required standards," she said.
If the reforms become law, the first changes will come into effect in 2026 with mandatory inspections for apartment buildings of four levels or higher and commercial buildings at critical stages of construction.
The reforms will eventually be applied to the entire residential housing construction sector.
The aim is to give home buyers more confidence in the industry and avoid the impacts of costly defects by improving construction quality.
A consultation draft of the laws will be released later to allow peak bodies, local governments and building professionals time to understand the changes and have their say on the technical details.
Under the proposed laws, the Building Commissioner will be given stronger powers, including the authority to issue directions on technical matters and enter any construction site.
The commissioner will also be able to notify permit authorities of serious non-compliant work and issue greater penalties for various offences.
The reforms also include a requirement for third-party review of structural and fire safety designs for complex and significant buildings and clearer processes for documenting design changes during construction.
