Victorian Current Acts

DOMESTIC BUILDING CONTRACTS ACT 1995 - SECT 54

    (1)     A domestic building dispute is a dispute or claim arising—

        (a)     between a building owner and—

              (i)     a builder; or

              (ii)     a building practitioner (as defined in the Building Act 1993 ); or

              (iii)     a sub-contractor; or

S. 54(1)(a)(iv) amended by No. 26/2019 s. 134(1)(a).

              (iv)     an architect; or

S. 54(1)(a)(v) inserted by No. 26/2019 s. 134(1)(b).

              (v)     an engineer engaged in the building industry—

in relation to a domestic building contract or the carrying out of domestic building work; or

        (b)     between a builder and—

              (i)     another builder; or

              (ii)     a building practitioner (as defined in the  Building Act 1993 ); or

              (iii)     a sub-contractor; or

S. 54(1)(b)(iv) amended by No. 26/2019 s. 134(2)(a).

              (iv)     an insurer; or

S. 54(1)(b)(v) inserted by No. 26/2019 s. 134(2)(b).

              (v)     an engineer engaged in the building industry—

in relation to a domestic building contract or the carrying out of domestic building work; or

S. 54(1)(c) amended by Nos 69/2006 s. 221(a), 26/2019 s. 134(3)(c).

        (c)     between a building owner or a builder and—

              (i)     an architect; or

S. 54(1)(c)(ii) amended by Nos 26/2019 s. 134(3)(a), 13/2024 s. 3(Sch.  1 item 3.2).

              (ii)     a building practitioner registered under the Building Act 1993 as a building designer; or

S. 54(1)(c)(iii) inserted by No. 26/2019 s. 134(3)(b).

              (iii)     an endorsed building engineer within the meaning of the Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019 —

in relation to any design work carried out by the architect, endorsed building engineer or building practitioner in respect of domestic building work; or

S. 54(1)(d) inserted by No. 69/2006 s. 221(b).

        (d)     between a lot owner or an owners corporation and an initial owner (within the meaning of section 68 of the Owners Corporations Act 2006 ) of land in a plan of subdivision in relation to an obligation imposed on the initial owner under section 68(2) of the Owners Corporations Act 2006 .

    (2)     For the purposes of subsection (1), a dispute or claim includes any dispute or claim in negligence, nuisance or trespass but does not include a dispute or claim related to a personal injury.

    (3)     A reference to a building owner in this section includes a reference to any person who is the owner for the time being of the building or land in respect of which a domestic building contract was made or domestic building work was carried out.

S. 55 (Heading) inserted by No. 15/2016 s. 10(3).

S. 55 amended by No. 15/2016 s. 10(2).