Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 October 2005 |
| Dissolved | 31 May 2012 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Headquarters | Melbourne |
| Agency executives |
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The Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) (2005–2012) was an independent, statutory authority, responsible for monitoring and promoting workplace relations in the Australian building and construction industry. The ABCC provided education, investigated workplace complaints and enforced compliance with national workplace laws in the industry. The ABCC did this by:
The ABCC was abolished on 31 May 2012, and many of its functions were taken on by a new independent, specialist agency called Fair Work Building & Construction.
The Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry was established in August 2001 and tabled its final report in March 2003.
The Royal Commission found that the building and construction industry was characterised by a widespread disregard for the law, cataloguing over 100 types of unlawful and inappropriate conduct.
The Commission also found that existing regulatory bodies had insufficient powers and resources to enforce the law.
The Building Industry Taskforce (BIT) was the predecessor to the ABCC, and was established on 1 October 2002 as an interim body prior to the establishment of the national agency envisaged by Royal Commissioner Cole.
In March 2004 the Interim Taskforce became a permanent taskforce, operating until the BCII Act created the ABCC in October 2005.
Nigel Hadgkiss was the director of the BIT from October 2002 until it was subsumed by the ABCC. On 29 September 2005 the Hon. John Lloyd PSM was appointed as the inaugural ABCC Commissioner. ABCC Commissioner Leigh Johns took up his appointment on 11 October 2010.
On 16 February 2012, legislation to abolish the ABCC passed the House of Representatives by 71 votes to 70. The legislation passed through the Senate on 21 March, and the agency was officially abolished on 31 May 2012. On 1 June 2012, a new independent regulator, Fair Work Building & Construction, was created to take on many of the functions of the ABCC.
The ABCC could commence civil penalty proceedings against individuals and organisations who engaged in unlawful industrial action.
Industrial action by building employees includes work stoppages, bans and other restrictions on the performance of work. Industrial action by building employers includes locking out employees.
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