Amendments To The Western Australian Construction Contracts Act Unveiled

After a prolonged period of consultation and build-up, the Construction Contracts Amendment Bill 2016, along with its Explanatory Memorandum and clause notes, has been unveiled.

The proposed amendments to the Construction Contracts Act 2004 follow a statutory review completed by Professor Philip Evans and a number of recent high-profile payment disputes on Government-owned projects.

Only some of Professor Evans' 28 recommended changes are being made to the act, with the government deferring or delaying its decisions with respect to the other recommendations.  This means that, despite being touted as the sector's 'biggest shakeup' in a decade, the existing legislative framework largely stays the same and many of the recommendations have not been adopted.  However, a handful of significant changes have been made to how the regime operates and will have a real impact on the industry.