The Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme (the Scheme) only applies to head contractor builders engaged to carry out building work funded by the Australian Government. If your project does not involve any building work whether by you or a third party, there is no requirement that an accredited builder be used.
- Housing Australia may also contribute funding towards a project involving building work in several ways. Whether the Scheme applies to head contractor builders on these projects will generally depend on whether the funding assists or facilitates building work to proceed in some way. However, this will require examination of the circumstances of each project.
A few different funding and financing scenarios are considered further below.
- Housing Australia may enter into an agreement to provide a construction loan with a borrower. In this scenario, it is likely the Scheme will apply to the extent the Housing Australia loan finances the building work to be carried out. In this case, an accredited builder is most likely required unless one of the exemptions applies.
- Housing Australia may provide a conditional commitment for (and then later provide after construction completion) an acquisition financing loan to a borrower for the purposes of enabling a borrower to acquire a turnkey dwelling (or dwellings) on completion. In this scenario, the application of the Scheme will depend on whether Housing Australia’s funding facilitates the carrying out of building work forming part of the project. The Scheme will apply on a case-by-case basis so please call the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) for more information.
- Housing Australia may provide availability payments to a funding applicant only to fund the operating cost of making dwellings available as social and affordable housing. In this scenario, the Scheme will generally not apply because the purpose of the funding does not usually assist the building work to proceed. However, if Housing Australia’s funding does facilitate the carrying out of building work in some way the Scheme will apply. To determine this, please call the OFSC for more information.
- Please contact the OFSC for more information in these cases.
- Housing Australia commits to funding the spot purchase of completed dwellings after they have been constructed. As the funding is only for the purchase of completed dwellings, Housing Australia is not funding the building work nor assisting it to proceed. There is no requirement that the builder be accredited.
- The funding applicant owns the land and has already commenced construction of a block of apartments. It has applied to Housing Australia for funding in the form of availability payments only. Housing Australia commits to provide availability payments to the applicant for the purpose of funding the (post-construction) operating costs of making dwellings available for social and affordable housing. As construction has commenced and has been financed independently of any Housing Australia funds, Housing Australia is not funding the building work, nor assisting it to proceed. There is no requirement that the builder be accredited.
Other exemptions
See the links below for information on the other exemptions:
EXEMPTION 1 – Building work valued at below the Scheme funding thresholds
EXEMPTION 2 – Single dwelling houses
EXEMPTION 3 – Joint venture arrangements
Exemptions automatically apply in any relevant scenario. You do not need to apply for or seek approval from the OFSC for an exemption. If you are unsure if an exemption applies to your project, please contact the OFSC at ofsc@dewr.gov.au.
Further assistance
To speak to an OFSC representative please call the OFSC Assist Line 1800 652 500, or email ofsc@dewr.gov.au.