Video: The IBQC Inaugural Conference on Good Practice Principles of Building Regulation

By Adjunct Professor Kim Lovegrove MSE RML, Chairman of the IBQC, Senior Lawyer, Lovegrove & Cotton – Construction and Planning Lawyers

The IBQC inaugural international was a fantastic conference: two hours of rapid-fire, power-packed eight minute presentations. Key note speaker Dame Judith Hackitt’s wonderful scene-setting key note address set the tone for the conference. It was so very kind of Dame Judith to open the conference.

Sylvia Solf, Senior Private Sector Specialist at the World Bank gave a powerful closing address. Sylvia’s perspective on the criticality of good practice building regulation was compelling.

Professor Jose Torero’s discussion regarding the paramountcy of professional competency certification was fastidious in its logic and quite profound in terms of its take-outs for those who shape building regulatory policy.

Stephanie Barwise QC & Bronwyn Weir’s very complementary papers on building approvals systems and the regulation of building product safety left no stones unturned, were so very timely and totally poignant and Professor Robert Whittaker’s address included some historical wisdom, the shattering of certain misconceptions and a very moving conclusion.

Alejandro Espinosa-Wang’s address on best practice inspectorial constructs displayed his signature grasp of all that is vital to robust probity and inspectorial regimes.

The writer focussed on good practice auditing regimes and best practice dispute resolution systems and Michael De Lint gave an address on the challenges confronting developing countries.

Judy Zakreski’s moderating of the conference was simply superb as was the organisational aplomb of the International Codes Council in putting the conference together.

I commend the conference to you, as it embraces some of the most progressive global thinking on the development of good practice building regulation. Thank you also to the University of Canberra and Professor Charles Lemckert for getting behind this important initiative.