Today’s confirmation that Niche Living has been deregistered by the Building Services Board will be bittersweet news for hundreds of WA families.
More than 200 families are finally able to escape the limbo they have been in for years under Niche Living and access up to $200,000 in Home Indemnity Insurance (HII) allowing them to engage another builder to complete their homes.
For many, this will also be a difficult day. The financial and emotional toll this prolonged saga has taken has impacted lives for many years, and at the end of the day, they still do not have a home to move into.
Many people have put their lives on hold, and their letters to the State Government, the State Administrative Tribunal, and the Building and Energy Commission for many years have not been met with the urgency or empathy needed.
While I welcome the decision of the Building Services Board, it is concerning that it only came as part of an ordinary review process, and that the State Government did not direct the Building Commissioner to look at this matter sooner.
It’s clear the writing has been on the wall for Niche Living for many months, yet the State Government has sat on their hands and ignored the concerns raised by WA families and tradespeople for too long.
The deregistration of Niche Living is expected to cost the State Government over $40 million in HII payments, some of which may have been avoided had the Government listened to the concerns of customers and other builders and taken action.
It must also be acknowledged that for some customers, the $200,000 they are able to access through HII will be insufficient to allow them to complete their builds.
The State Government must work closely with any impacted customers and deliver a solution that gets people into finished homes as soon as possible.
I have also repeatedly called on the Minister for Commerce to clarify that HII is in place for all impacted Niche Living customers, without a clear response.
I thank and acknowledge the many impacted customers who have come forward with their stories, and WA’s media who helped shine a spotlight on the poor treatment of customers and tradespeople by Niche Living.
In particular, I acknowledge the work of the ABC Mornings program for their tireless advocacy on behalf of Niche Living clients for over a year.
