A NSW Government decision to change interstate building and construction licensing will make it easier for tradespeople to work across borders, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) today said.
The Automatic Mutual Recognition Scheme will enable qualified tradespeople from all states and territories, apart from QLD, to assist in community rebuilds following extreme weather events.
For impacted communities in Northern NSW, this announcement will bring welcome relief for policyholders waiting for urgent rebuild and repair work.
Since late last year, the ICA has been working with state and territory government and building industry associations to increase the availability of trades required to repair and rebuild properties following natural disasters.
Rapid response by tradespeople on the ground following disaster events helps communities to recover faster, and also provides an injection of funds into local economies.
Outside of natural disasters, insurance claims received every day provide regular work for many thousands of tradespeople, repairers and associated suppliers across Australia, most of which are small businesses.
Insurers have received more than 81,700 claims in New South Wales from the recent floods, with losses estimated at $1.145 billion. More than 63,500 New South Wales claims are for property and more than 14,000 are for motor vehicles.
In total, insurers have received 180,245 claims from the extreme weather event across South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales, at an estimated cost of $2.523 billion.
Quote attributable to ICA CEO Andrew Hall:
The critical shortage of builders and trades across impacted regions continues to pose a challenge for communities affected by the recent extreme weather.
Mutual licensing recognition of builders and tradespeople between states and territories will go a long way to addressing this shortage and support faster community recovery from disaster.
This decision by the NSW Government is very welcomed, especially if it means labour can be better mobilised across borders and help communities rebuild faster.
