BAD NEWS STORIES, GOOD NEWS STORIES

First the bad news, since the ZEBRA AUSTRALIA BLOGspot has been online there have been so many sad tales that have been brought to the growing network’s attention – but hey Dodgy Bros Pty Ltd have been in business since Adam was a boy.

Now for some good news, there have been a significant number of good stories coming ZEBRA AUSTRALIA's way. The good news stories seem to have particular sets of similarities that also seem throw light on the bad ones – well to some extent. Because, ZA has had a focus on Dodgy Bros Pty Ltd it is ever likely to be the case that we’ll hear proportionally more about the disasters (major & relatively minor) that these 'operators' leave in their wake.

For instance, it is patently clear that the dysfunctionality of the current last resort insurance scheme operating throughout Australia – the mechanism that comes into play when things do go wrong – is a part of the problem. What is less clear is what it is that actually triggers the chain of events that lead to the point when it does.

On the one hand, there seems to be some consistencies in the good and bad stories. On the other, there also seems to be unique circumstances that apply in each case – case by case. The good news stories (and there are many) are starting to throw some light on some of this – that is once the passion and distress is peeled back. People in Australia have traditionally made their home their single largest investment (and they have been encouraged to) so it is no wonder that there is some passion there.

If all building stories coming to ZA were bad ones it would be obvious to all and sundry as we simply move around in Australia’s ‘built estate’. By-and-large the vast majority of Australian buildings (homes in particular) are sound, durable and safe – albeit that much of it is poorly designed, environmentally inappropriate, etc. It is no wonder that Dodgy Bros Pty Ltd victims ask, why me?

It is just the case that SOME projects fall through the cracks of the regulatory system. Why? How? When? Therefore, early on in PROJECT ZEBRA it is clear that there is a need for some INDEPENDENT research. Who can do, or will commission, this work?

• Government (Local, State or Federal)? ZA thinks that is unlikely!
  
• The Building Industry via its associations? ZA doesn’t believe that they would believe that they see it as their job – its simply not their reason for being!
• A University? Possibly, but who, or what, would trigger such a project?
  
• The community? Possibly, but who within ‘the community’ is going to initiate it or fund it – and how?

Where to from here? ZA is now looking at this set of questions and attempting to find a way forward.