ABCC recovers more than $13.5 million for subcontractors as its time draws to a close

Australia’s controversial building regulator, the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC), has managed to help subcontractors get more than $13.5 million in invoices paid over past three years.

The ABCC has been involved over the past three years in ensuring security of payment to subcontractors – who are typically small businesses – and this involved it acting on complaints put to it by subcontractors. 

Its latest industry update, published over the past week, says the work done by the regulator on issues related to security of payment was overseen by a working group comprising associations representing employers, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the government, and the regulator.

Overseeing security of payment to contractors, however, is no longer be a part of the ABCC’s role given the federal government has wound back the scope of its powers in anticipation of legislation that will see the regulator shut down following an election promise by the Albanese government to kill the agency off.

“In the short time we have remaining as an agency, we are working to ensure all desktop audits and security of payment investigations are closed out in a timely manner and recoveries are finalised wherever possible,” the industry update says.

“As explained...