Strata Plan 92450 v JKN Para 1 Pty Ltd & Toplace Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC The Supreme Court of NSW recently handed down a decision on a damages claim regarding building cladding. The Court found that the plaintiff had failed to demonstrate that cladding was combustible and that an ‘alternative solution’ could not be performed […]
With construction industry participants seeing an increase in costs, rise and fall clauses have been floated as a solution for easing current cost pressures. Essentially, a rise and fall clause in a construction contract shifts key project pricing risks from the contractor to the principal. In this update, W+K’s Construction PI specialists Aaron Bolton, Robert […]
Following the recent decision in Goodwin, the Supreme Court of NSW has handed down another decision that considers the scope of the duty arising under the DBPA and to whom it is owed. In Pafburn, the court established the duty is prima facie owed by those who are able to control how the construction work […]
On 19 May 2022, the Supreme Court of NSW handed down the first substantive decision on the application of the statutory duty of care introduced by Part 4 of the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) in June 2020. The effect of this judgment is that, arguably, the statutory duty of care extends to […]
The ABCB has issued an Implementation Report and model guidance documents that address most of the recommendations contained in the 2018 Building Confidence Report. These developments are the latest in an ongoing effort to address building defects and failures Australia-wide. While significant consumer and industry benefits associated with consistent adoption of the model guidance have […]
The past year in the construction industry has been punctuated by a collection of legislative reforms, pandemic responses and technology advances. It’s also been a challenging time in which the industry has been dealing with the continued fallout from market-shaping events, such as the Lacrosse and Grenfell Tower fires, and heightened rates of insolvency. Against […]
2021 presented the general insurance industry with many uncertainties. Our 2020 GL Trends Report provided foresight into several trends that have impacted, and continue to impact, the general liability market in Australia and New Zealand, including historical abuse claims across different sectors, concussion and its impact on sport, as well as COVID-19 risks as it […]
The Supreme Court’s recent decision to refuse leave for the plaintiff to amend its List Statement in an alleged building defects claim has reinforced the fact that the statutory duty of care created under the DBP Act is assessed by the usual principles of negligence and does not require a higher standard be met. W+K’s […]
A recent decision to uphold a NCAT appeal decision has provided a useful judicial articulation of some of the relevant clauses from the Building Code of Australia regarding cladding compliance. The decision also provides further clarity about the ‘attachment’ exception which, in certain circumstances, permits the use of combustible cladding. W+K’s Marcus Saw looks at […]
Four senior lawyers – Naraya Lamart (Partner), Edward Burrell (Special Counsel), Rachel White (Senior Associate) and Jacinta Fox (Senior Associate) have joined Wotton Kearney’s preeminent Property, Construction and Energy team. These appointments reflect the latest chapter in the team’s significant growth story over the past few years, which also includes two partner promotions in June […]
