Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the bushfires of 7 February 2009, I have witnessed amazing stories of courage and generosity. Australians have donated $400 million to the bushfire appeal fund and, as well, volunteers have donated countless hours and have fed, clothed, housed and fenced people in the aftermath. The federal government has also expended in excess of $400 million on support and assistance and is working alongside the Brumby government and the Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority. I have met with many people who have shown a quiet but immense resilience as they have tried to rebuild their homes and their lives. These are people who have lived through more tragedy and heartbreak in the last 15 months than most of us, if we are lucky, will ever be touched by in a lifetime. These are people who have inspired and led others simply by the determination they have shown by starting again.

However, sadly, I wish to put on record today my concerns about the conduct of a small minority of private builders operating in bushfire-hit areas of Victoria. I believe there are some who are taking advantage of people in desperate circumstances, some who are forcing people to live in sheds for longer periods than they should whilst they wait for their houses to be rebuilt. I believe there are some builders—a minority, I hasten to add; there are many good stories—who are forcing people to go through another winter not in their new home. I believe there are some who are cynically ripping off their fellow Australians in a time of need. I believe that the taxes and the charity gifted to families is in danger of being fleeced by unscrupulous, exploitative operators.

I have now, in the last two weeks, uncovered too many stories of builders failing to complete work, of overcharging and of leaving valuable housing equipment on sites to deteriorate in the environment as they are unable to complete the promises that they made to their customers upon signing contracts. These emerging stories are too numerous to be ignored. Deliberately or perhaps just recklessly through an excess of optimism by the builder, people are facing difficult circumstances with a lack of money and unfortunately we are witnessing tactics which are bringing the building sector into disrepute.

I understand the decision about whether to return to a bushfire damaged community is a deeply personal one and one that many people are still making. But there is a strong movement of people going back to these towns to rebuild their homes and lives and indeed of new people moving into these areas. There have been 1,386 new building permits issued for new dwellings in bushfire areas. But I believe we need better compliance, and I will be raising it with the state government, to offer consumers substantial protection, which they deserve, in Victoria. We need to have advocates working on behalf of victims. We need the relevant authorities to be visiting the sites and forcing compliance to contracts. There will be talks starting with the Building Commission, the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, the Master Builders Association and the Housing Industry Association to work out how we can encourage compliance. I am disappointed by some of the stories emerging from Kinglake but we will remedy the problems.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! In accordance with standing order 193 the time for constituency statements has concluded.