Licensing Canberra developers will protect the public

The argument is that purchasers have an obligation to inspect what they are paying for.

That is a good rule for most everyday items but for housing it is not.

There are too many ways for unscrupulous developers to hide design flaws.

A very good example came to light in a submission to the Legislative Assembly as it considered its proposed Property Developers Bill.

An experienced Canberra structural engineer, Mal Wilson of Advanced Structural Designs, recalled a conversation he had had with a well-known Canberra developer.

In his submission Mr Wilson, who has 40 years of experience in the industry, said the developer revealed he had instructed a builder not to include set downs in internal wet areas of a unit complex.

"I told him that was a very bad idea because there would be a step-up walking into the bathroom that people would be kicking their toes on," Mr Wilson wrote in his submission.

"His response was, 'I know that, you know that, but the average person buying a unit has no idea, and I have just saved $500 on every unit'."

Mr Wilson said such developers were simply trying to minimise costs.

They, he submitted, gave inadequate consideration to long-term consequences.

He said the developer licensing bill was "well overdue".

We agree.

The bill would require residential developers to hold a licence. There would be a public register of licensed developers.

They would be liable for building defects for the first two years after a building was occupied.

Directors of development companies could also be held liable in the event their company was wound up.

None of this would hurt diligent developers.

It would only strengthen them by giving them a seal of approval for all to see. People who buy homes could identify developers of good repute.

It is the cutters of corners and the hiders of flaws who would lose.

As they should.