Fair Work Building & Construction (FWBC), or more formally the Office of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate was an Government of Australia agency established by the Fair Work (Building Industry) Act 2012. FWBC commenced operations on 1 June 2012, replacing its predecessor, the

Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner The Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) (2005–2012) was an independent, statutory authority, responsible for monitoring and promoting workplace relations in the Australian building and construction industry. ...

. FWBC was replaced by the Australian Building and Construction Commission on 2 December 2016. FWBC was responsible for enforcing

industrial relations Industrial relations or employment relations is the multidisciplinary academic field that studies the employment relationship; that is, the complex interrelations between employers and employees, labor/trade unions, employer organizations, ...

laws in Australia’s building and construction industry through the provision of education, assistance and advice. FWBC aimed to ensure the rule of law applies on building sites within Australia and that building work is carried out fairly, efficiently and productively for the benefit of all building industry participants and for the benefit of the Australian economy as a whole. The agency had offices in Sydney,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

, with its head office located in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. The agency’s investigators visited construction sites across Australia to ensure all building industry participants were complying with federal law.

Functions

FWBC was responsible for the following workplace relations matters in the building and construction industry:

Investigating and auditing

Investigating alleged contraventions of: * the Fair Work Act 2009 * the Independent Contractors Act 2006 * Building Code 2013

Educating and advising

* Responding to enquiries for advice and assistance. * Conducting presentations on the rights and responsibilities of building industry participants. * Producing and distributing fact sheets on legislation, regulations and industrial relations practices. * Publishing updates on legal findings (e.g. outcomes of court cases), operational activities, newsletters and updates on topics affecting the industry.

Instituting proceedings for contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act)

If FWBC determined a contravention has occurred, the agency could commence legal action. FWBC also had the power to intervene in court proceedings—and

Fair Work Commission The Fair Work Commission (FWC), until 2013 known as Fair Work Australia (FWA), is the Australian industrial relations tribunal created by the ''Fair Work Act 2009'' as part of the Rudd Government's reforms to industrial relations in Austral ...

proceedings—that involve a building industry participant or building work.
Contraventions may relate to: * Coercion * Industrial action * Discrimination * Workplace rights * Strike pay * Right of entry

Referring matters to other Commonwealth or State and Territory bodies

Where appropriate, the FWBC could refer matters to other Commonwealth or State and Territory bodies, including the *

Fair Work Ombudsman The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) (or formally, the Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman), is an independent statutory agency of the Government of Australia that serves as the central point of contact for free advice and information on the Australian ...

Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuatio ...

*State and Federal Police *

Australian Securities & Investments Commission The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is an independent commission of the Australian Government tasked as the national corporate regulator. ASIC's role is to regulate company and financial services and enforce laws to pro ...

* Director of Public Prosecutions *

Australian Competition *Consumer Commission Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

Functions

Investigating and auditing

Educating and advising

Instituting proceedings for contraventions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act)

Referring matters to other Commonwealth or State and Territory bodies

References

Related links