News and updates about building & construction
Building & Construction In a recent Tribunal decision, Crema Constructions Pty Ltd v Malvern Project Developments Pty Ltd and Ors (Building and Property) [2026] VCAT 49, Deputy Preside
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Building & Construction As we begin 2026, the Victorian residential landscape is shifting. Under the Victorian Housing Statement, the State Government has set an ambitious target of 80
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Building & Construction The Supreme Court of Victoria recently handed down a decision that has big implications for builders chasing final payments and for developers relying on certif
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Building & Construction The construction and building sector in Victoria is governed by stringent legal requirements designed to protect homeowners, developers, builders, and contracto
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Building & Construction Business Analysis of Troise v Blue Key Properties Pty Ltd (Building and Property) [2025] VCAT 9
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Building & Construction The Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025 introduces significant reforms to Victoria’s building industry, strengthening consumer protecti
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Building & Construction The case of Castellan v Icecorp Pty Ltd [2024] VCACT 1120 centres around a contractual dispute arising from a construction project involving two townhouses. The
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Building & Construction Key Lessons from Whitaker v F.P & H.S Keogh Pty Ltd
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Building & Construction Contracts are the administrative foundations of the building and construction industry. However, when contracts are skewed in favour of one party - often the more
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Building & Construction When planning a domestic building project, it’s important to understand the legal framework that governs these activities. Homeowners and builders alike can oft
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Building & Construction In Victoria, disputes between neighbours over shared boundaries are common and can escalate into complex legal conflicts. Issues involving fences, trees, and la
Read more Building & Construction The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) case of Mikhali v Soliman (Building and Property) [2024] VCAT 616 focuses on the entitlements of parties
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Building & Construction The case of Hunters Green Retirement Living Pty Ltd (‘the developer’) v. J.G. King Project Management Pty Ltd (‘the contractor’) [2023] VSC 536, brought to the
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Building & Construction In a recent case at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), Barbican Construction Group Pty Ltd (Barbican), a respected construction firm in Vic
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Building & Construction The recent VCAT decision in AMO Rifat Holdings Pty Ltd v Dib sheds light on key aspects of domestic building work, offering crucial insights for builders on sta
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Building & Construction When you find yourself involved in a VCAT dispute concerning home construction, whether you're the builder or the homeowner, the role of expert evidence cannot
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Building & Construction With the implementation of new regulations surrounding unfair contract terms, scheduled to take effect on November 10, 2023, it's a crucial time for businesses
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Building & Construction Building disputes, unfortunately, are not uncommon and can arise due to a multitude of reasons including defects, delays, variations, payments, or quality conce
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Building & Construction The Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) – 'the Act' – stands as a crucial legal framework governing the obligations and prerequisites of both homeowners
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Building & Construction There are many challenges in the world of construction, but the persistent issue of water ingress and mould is causing huge problems, especially in the increasi
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Building & Construction If you are one of the homeowners impacted by Porter Davis going into liquidation, you're probably wondering what you can do from here. Below are our 5 tips on h
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Building & Construction There are many complexities and challenges that can arise during construction projects. However, there is a critical aspect that often goes overlooked – underst
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Building & Construction Dealing with a building dispute can feel overwhelming, especially if you're not familiar with the legal complexities involved. In Victoria, specific laws and re
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Building & Construction A trade mark is your registered brand and is used to distinguish your business from other products and services. A trade mark can be a letter, number, word, phr
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Building & Construction In a recent hearing, Nichol and Anor v Keeble (Building and Property) [2022] VCAT 1449, the Tribunal considered the situation of where a builder abandoned the w
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Building & Construction If a Builder does not comply with the statutory requirements of a variation, is it still entitled to claim the variation monies and extension of time? In the re
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Building & Construction It’s no doubt that in recent times you’ve heard about the increases in construction materials and labour costs, which have affected all builders. The impact of
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Building & Construction With the various challenges associated with the construction industry at the moment, domestic building disputes are on the rise. These disputes generally involv
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Building & Construction In light of recent times and an incredibly tough market, we are seeing an increase in claims whereby the Builder seeks to join third parties (usually Contractor
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Building & Construction A cost-plus contract price is not fixed, the builder only has to give the owner a reasonable estimate of the works, whereas a fixed price contract sets a specif
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Building & Construction When you are purchasing or selling a property you should engage a conveyancer (or lawyer practising in conveyancing transactions).
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Building & Construction Global supply chain issues and trade shortages are resulting in many homebuyers experiencing delays in the construction of their new homes. But the delays don’t
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Building & Construction It is common for us to be asked to review a contract – whether it is a building contract, a consultancy contract, a contract of sale or a procurement contract –
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Building & Construction Recently we successfully brought a claim for a first-time homeowner against a Builder in a VCAT matter.
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Building & Construction In a recent VCAT decision (Miller & Anor v Pomphrey (Building and Property) [2022] VCAT 140), the Applicants (“the Owners”) issued proceedings in the Victorian
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Building & Construction I know everyone is saying it, but 2021 certainly was an intense year!
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Building & Construction It’s funny how at the end of the year all you can think about is having a break, maybe going on a holiday and the fun the festive season will bring. However, it
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Building & Construction As we approach the end of the year, many people are counting down until the break – especially this year! As much as we all deserve a break and some downtime, t
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Building & Construction If you find yourself in the unfortunate position where you’re in a dispute with your builder or the owner of a property, you may be able to take your dispute to
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Building & Construction The Victorian Government confirmed that the shutdown of the construction industry will end, and the construction sector can reopen on Tuesday 5 October 2021 wit
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Building & Construction Case study – Bhati v Pannu [2021] VCAT 946
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Building & Construction A Calderbank offer is a powerful tool in commercial litigation. It is the recognised practice of making a "without prejudice" offer but reserving the right to r
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Building & Construction Service of Documents
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Building & Construction Case study – Impresa Construction v Oxford Building [2021] VCC 1146
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Building & Construction This month we successfully represented our client in an interesting matter about whether a ‘rooming house’ is domestic building works within the meaning of the
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Building & Construction The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) includes national unfair contract terms laws covering standard form consumer and small business contracts, a national law guar
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Building & Construction Nothing is more satisfying than seeing Building Works coming together as a project nears practical completion. Sometimes though, Builders prematurely issue the
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Building & Construction People often ask me, “Why construction law?” and sometimes this is difficult to answer – as it was not an area I chose, rather it was an area that chose me. Whe
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Building & Construction The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) sets out consumer rights that are called consumer guarantees. These include your rights to a repair, replacement or refund as
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Building & Construction In building disputes, the question of how to appropriately measure damages is often a point of contention. The courts have considered this issue in this context
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Building & Construction Knowing your audience is critical when developing your marketing messages. Consider the knowledge levels of an investor purchasing his fifth property vs a first
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Building & Construction Whether you’re a builder, a tradesperson or operate a garden maintenance business, Stage Four restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne have had a huge impact on t
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Building & Construction I first opened the doors to Spectrum Lawyers in January 2018. Who could have known how much would happen in just a year and a half!
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Building & Construction The Government has now provided a Stage 4 Construction Guidance
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Building & Construction Builders often rely on pro-forma contracts as they are standard and easier. But because they are standard, they do not always cover everything, so a builder may
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Building & Construction How often have you heard a builder or owner say, “We’ll just put in an allowance for that and figure it out later”? But what if you actually build the home and
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Building & Construction It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of building your own home, and sometimes that means you can forget things like ensuring your works do not impact on
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Building & Construction Often there is confusion around the limitation period for building actions as there are some different periods for insurance – that is:
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Building & Construction Some of my clients are presenting me with ‘defective building’ dispute cases, which at first glance are based on allegations of slab movement. This begs the que
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Building & Construction Building a home can be a long and complicated process. Even though all parties usually go into things with the best intentions, it doesn’t always go smoothly.
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Building & Construction Practical steps businesses can take to tighten their invoicing and payment processes, and what to weigh up before pursuing legal action to recover an unpaid debt.
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Building & Construction Most people will say lawyers don’t understand business. And it’s true that a lawyer can’t step in and play the role of a CEO, a General Manager, or the people o
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Building & Construction What you need to know about building warranty periods, insurance requirements, and how to make a claim when defects are discovered in your new home.
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Building & Construction A comprehensive guide to your rights and obligations under a domestic building contract in Victoria, including key clauses, variation processes, and dispute resolution options.
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