Legislative update

Commonwealth

• Bill passes the Senate  |  Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Bill 2017 (Cth)

New South Wales

• NSW Government to overhaul certifier regulation  |  Building and Development Certifiers Bill 2018 (NSW)

Queensland

• BIF Act amendments clarify project bank accounts and payment schedule timeframe  |  Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld)

In the Australian courts

New South Wales

• Time limits in section 48K apply to each building claim within a single application  |  David Cameron Jones t/as Oz Style Homes v Panchal [2018] NSWCATAP 238

• Milestones matter! No right to set off defects after construction milestone reached  |  Greenwood Futures v DSD Builders [2018] NSWSC 1407

• A real risk of insolvency may be enough to stay payout of an adjudicator's determination  |  Greenwood Futures v DSD Builders (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1471

• Defects before PC: are they a mere temporary disconformity or a breach of contract?  |  Owners of Strata Plan 80458 v TQM Design & Construct Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1304

• An incorrect adjudicator's determination may not be an unreasonable one  |  Southern Cross Electrical Engineering v Steve Magill Earthmoving [2018] NSWSC 1027

Queensland

• Gambling on a property development's success has left a civil contractor out of pocket  |  Cheshire Contractors Pty Ltd v Mark Lansdowne Everett [2018] QSC 228

• Adjudication on payment claim not void for jurisdictional error  |  Cragcorp Pty Ltd v Qld Civil Engineering Pty Ltd & Ors [2018] QSC 203

• Trust issues – pending appeal, interest accrues on judgment sum paid but held on trust  |  Mineralogy Pty Ltd v BGP Geoexplorer Pte Ltd [2018] QCA 256

South Australia

• Adjudicator's decision not to apply the slip rule is not a jurisdictional error  |  Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd & Anor v Yuanda Australia Pty Ltd &Anor [2018] SASC 158

Western Australia

• A jurisdiction jolt: UNCITRAL Model Law and inherent powers concurrently enable courts to grant freezing orders in arbitrations  |  Duro Felguera Australia Pty Ltd v Trans Global Projects Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) [2018] WASCA 174

• Mutuality of debt under section 553C of the Corporations Act in respect of insolvent contractors  |  Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v Forge Group Power Pty Ltd (In Liquidation) (Receivers & Managers Appointed) [2018] WASCA 163