Australia – Construction Law

Sydney Partner Sandra Steele Named Lawyers Weekly Construction and Infrastructure Partner of the Year

May 17 2016

Sydney Partner Sandra Steele was recently named as Construction and Infrastructure Partner of the Year at the inaugural 2016 Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards. Sandra has more than 20 years’ experience advising on contentious and non-contentious construction law matters. She has extensive experience in contract drafting and negotiation as well as litigation and alternative dispute resolution in the project management, construction, engineering and infrastructure project sectors. Sandra’s civic activities include serving as the National President for the National Association of Women in Construction, a member of the Australian Legislation Reform Committee for the Society of Construction Law, the Law Society of New South Wales, and the Resolution Institute and is on the editorial panel of the Australian Construction Bulletin.

Please join us in congratulating Sandra on this well-deserved accolade!

The Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards recognize outstanding performance by partners in law firms across 21 practice area-based categories. The finalists represent the leading partners in their field and were selected by Lawyers Weekly from an overwhelming number of nominations. Twenty-two high-profile judges took on the task of choosing the winners.

A New Australian Standard (AS 11000) to Replace the General Conditions of Contract (AS 4000 and AS 2124)

Oct 08 2015

By Sandra Steele, K&L Gates, Sydney

The AS 4000 and AS 2124 General Conditions of Contract are widely used forms of procurement in the Australian construction industry. A technical committee has recently drafted a new standard form contract (AS 11000) to supersede these previous forms.

The drafters have sought to provide a balanced approach to risk allocation and have updated the standards for certain legislative changes and case law including for GST and security of payment legislation. Despite the extensive amendments, as the AS 11000 is drafted as a national standard form contract, some State and Territory specific legislation and case law has not been included.

Security of Payment Legislation and Set-Off Under Commonwealth Insolvency Laws

Apr 14 2015

By Jenny K. Mee and Jemimah Roberts, K&L Gates, Sydney

A recent Victorian Supreme Court case[1] has clarified the impact of Commonwealth insolvency set-off provisions on State-based security of payments legislation.

The case demonstrates that although a principal is generally precluded from relying on a set-off or counterclaim in certain contexts under the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) (BCISP Act), this does not apply if the claimant is in liquidation, due to the operation of section 553C of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act).

The case also provides useful commentary on what is considered a ‘payment schedule’ for the purposes of the BCISP Act.

If you would like to read more about this case, please click here.

[1] Façade Treatment Engineering Limited v Brookfield Multiplex Construction Pty Ltd [2015] VSC 41.

High Court Finds No Duty of Care From Builder to Owners Corporation

Oct 22 2014

by Sandra Steele, Belinda Montgomery, Marcel Marquardt, Matthew G. Sier, K&L Gates, Sydney

The High Court has held that a builder of a serviced apartment complex does not owe a duty of care in negligence for financial loss arising from defects in common property to an owner’s corporation (Brookfield Multiplex Ltd v Owners Corporation Strata Plan 61288 [2014] HCA 36).

The serviced apartments were built by the builder under a design and construction contract with a developer. The owner’s corporation was a subsequent owner of the land.

This is an important decision for the building and construction industry as it has defined the circumstances in which a commercial builder will be found liable for defective works in negligence.

To read the full alert, click here.

Tag:Australia