There has been a flood of articles and commentary from all
corners of the construction industry since the highly publicised
'Opal Towers'
incident. This article is not intended to posture again over the
potential rights of the Opal Tower residents (questions which many
strata owners have faced before) but to look at what has come out
of this incident and what affect, if any, it will have on the
construction industry in New South Wales.
Investigation into the industry
There has always been, and probably always will be, enquiries
and investigations into the building and construction
industry.
The Cole Royal Commission which commenced on 29 August 2001,
found that the industry was characterised by 'lawlessness in the conduct of
industrial relations' and as a result 'sweeping changes were recommended
to the industrial relations applicable to the industry'. These
'sweeping changes'
took until 2005 to be introduced by
the Federal Government and then legislative
