Chandler steps down and leaves a legacy that won’t be forgotten in a hurry
New South Wales Building Commissioner David Chandler, who’s left an indelible mark on the building landscape in the state, is finally stepping down after five years in August.
And what an impact he’s made: feared by the bad, loved by the good. And leaving in his wake a legacy of the absolute imperative of better quality building – well at least for buildings that don’t crack and threaten to fall down or that are replete with bathrooms devoid of waterproofing. The more cynical in the industry say he’s one of the reasons so many builders and developers failed to stay in the game. That’s a bit of a long stretch, granted, but where there’s smoke in the Emerald City, there’s generally fire.
As a good early friend of The Fifth Estate Chandler holds a special place in our editorial hearts for his early whistleblowing work on unsafe practices on building sites. When he couldn’t get action from authorities about the unsafe practices he felt would put lives at risk – strangely some articles in TFE did the job. Then… they gave him the job – officially.
Chandler told ABC Radio Sydney that he was in a good position to leave after what he termed his legacy of taming the “Wild West” of the construction industry. The independent star classification rating tool Chandler introduced to crack down on substandard construction in the industry now classifies over 400 builders across NSW.
He had no fear to stand on principle either, as you might now be able to guess from these few words above. In 2022 he tendered his resignation over his concerns over then minister Eleni Petinos’s relationship with Coronation Property, the outfit that hired former deputy premier John Barilaro under cloudy scenarios. He was then persuaded by the Perrottet government to continue in his role, but we suspect he simply wanted action… which ensued: Petinos left; he stayed.
This time round, it’s a straight play. He says his “five years in this job has been pretty demanding”, and he added that he for one would not be joining the board of any developer or builder and would continue advising the government – just not at a full time capacity.
Chris Buntine joins Atelier Ten to lead Melbourne office
Buntine told his social followers he felt “incredibly privileged” with the opportunity.
For its part Atelier Ten was also “thrilled”. Buntine comes with a notable track record, as a “sustainability champion and regenerative design expert with a long career of delivering real impact, made together” the company said in a statement. His background includes civil engineering, urban planning and building science, with project expertise in health care, industrial precincts, civic and cultural facilities, schools and university buildings, and multi-family residential. Drawing on his experience in working on wide range of projects in the United States and Australia, Chris seeks to realise the potential for high value sustainability outcomes that benefit clients and the wider community of life.
He is also a leader in the International Living Future Institute, founded the Melbourne Regenerative Design Forum and is building his own sustainable house.
Siobhan Toolhill leaving Westpac
After 11 years at Westpac, Siobhan Toohill will be leaving Westpac where she’s been chief sustainability officer. In a note to her social media followers Toohill said she was proud of her team’s achievements during her tenure, and would be seeking new challenges and opportunities after July.
Key achievements, she said, included: a refreshed climate change and human rights position statements, establishment of a natural capital position statement, launch of a sustainable finance framework and taxonomy, substantive sustainability training for the bank’s staff and board and a sustainability strategy to 2030.
TSA Management
TSA Management has appointed Alistair Coulstock as its new executive consultant and sustainability lead.
Coulstock has spent over two decades in a number of sustainability roles and his influences includes a number articles for this masthead including this this piece about how to tackle non-compliance in the residential sector, as director of Action Sustainability Asia Pacific.
His background includes nearly five years as principal at Cundall, technical director Mott MacDonald and director at KPMG.
He will continue to take on gigs as the founder and director of Coulstock Consulting and guest lecturing at the University of Technology Sydney and the University of New South Wales.
Community Housing Ltd
Community Housing Ltd has appointed Danny Dracic as its new chief executive, starting 9 May.
Dracic held various senior positions at CHL over the last 16 years and was slated to take over as chief from 1 July, but his promotion was expedited due to the unexpected passing of CHL’s founding managing director, Steve Bevington, earlier this month.
Bevington, who originally planned to retire after the move, had worked with Dracic over the past year to ensure a smooth transition. Dracic and the team hope to continue his legacy in moving towards “a world without housing poverty”.
AIA
Insurance group AIA is appointing Rebecca Gunn as the new senior manager of ESG. Having spent more than two decades in various sustainability related roles, Gunn most recently departed from her role as partner at the Melbourne-based ERM (Environmental Resources Management).
Other roles have included manager for climate change and sustainability at Adbri Ltd, serving as a sustainability project manager at Newcrest Mining for almost three years, and serving as a director of the climate change and sustainability advisory team at EY for almost four years.