Legislative update

Commonwealth

• Changing Driving Laws to Support Automated Vehicles  | National Transport Commission Policy Paper

Queensland

• Queensland's new security of payment regime delayed until December 2018  | Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Bill 2017 (Qld)

Victoria

• Changes to the Victorian Building Act and new Building Regulations  | Building Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Act 2017 (Vic) and Building Regulations 2018 (Vic)

In the Australian courts

Australian Capital Territory

• ACT builder still liable for substandard work over a decade after building completed  | Koundouris v The Owners - Units Plan No 1917 [2017] ACTCA 36

New South Wales

• Residential building contractors: Be certain who you are contracting with  | AJ Gouros Investments Pty Ltd trading as Adelaide Concrete Polishing & Grinding Pty Ltd v Pongraz [2018] NSWCATAP 129

• Costs of applying to set aside an adjudication determination - competent junior counsel would have sufficed  | Brefni Pty Ltd v Specific Industries Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 578

• Supporting statements – when is service of a payment claim rendered invalid?  | Central Projects Pty Ltd v Davidson [2018] NSWSC 523

• 'Businesslike and sensible' – How termination clauses are likely to be interpreted  | D.R. Design (NSW) Pty Limited v Grand City International Development Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1778

• ‘Based on the above’ is only a valid basis for awarding a claim if there is a proper evaluation above  | Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd v Monford Group Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 491

• Owner builders can fix defects too  | Leung v Alexakis [2018] NSWCATAP 11

Queensland

• Implied term that bank guarantee will not expire prior to the defects liability period  | Bose v Muggeridge Constructions Pty Ltd [2018] QDC 75

• Fail to reveal information about a company in financial difficulty? Beware of non-party costs  | Murphy v Mackay Labour Hire Pty Ltd [2018] QCA 90

• Making an application to strike out or for summary judgment? Know the rules! A UCPR refresher  | Ockendon & Anor v Ryan & Ors [2018] QDC 94

• Strict compliance with performance security instrument essential for payment  | Santos Limited v BNP Paribas [2018] QSC 105

Tasmania

• Statutory construction – importance of purpose of objects of the statue and the legislative history and context  | Webster v Leighton [2018] TASSC 22

Victoria

• Contractual clauses unable to limit statutory periods for misleading and deceptive cases  | Brighton Australia Pty Ltd v Multiplex Constructions Pty Ltd [2018] VSC 246

• A right to have recourse to security turns on the particular facts in each case  | Orange Building Solutions Pty Ltd v Inkerman Property Group Pty Ltd (Building and Property) [2018] VCAT 696

• Minor defects and non-compliances will not necessarily prevent a stage of construction being achieved so as to disentitle a builder to a progress payment  | Sightway Construction Pty Ltd v Jayasinghe (Building and Property) [2018] VCAT 676

• Multiple payment claims under one reference date – new or replacement claim?  | Valeo Construction Pty Ltd v Pentas Property Investments Pty Limited [2018] VSC 243

Western Australia

• WA courts have the power to sever parts of adjudication determinations affected by jurisdictional error | Duro Felguera Australia Pty Ltd v Samsung C&T Corporation [2018] WASCA 28

• Adjudicator's power to make determinations over 'hybrid' contracts | Samsung C&T Corporation v Duro Felguera Australia Pty Ltd [2018] WASCA 27

• Implied provisions in the CCA can only be implied into construction contracts to the extent that specific provisions are absent from the contract  | Total Eden Pty Ltd v Charteris [2018] WASC 60