|
|
 |
Housing Industry Association - Their Role
The Housing Industry Association (or HIA) is wide ranging and multi-faceted. We’ve spoken to Graham Cooke to get more of an idea what the HIA does in the housing and building industry and exactly what role they play.
The History of the HIA
The HIA was first founded in Victoria in 1945, and originally called the Building and Allied Trades Association. Their role was to lobby for the import and production of materials for the building industry in the post-war period. Today, the HIA is concerned with housing affordability. As Cooke says, “housing is becoming too expensive for many low and even middle income families”. The HIA also addresses skill shortages, over regulation, and infrastructure degradation. To help address these concerns, the HIA maintains close contact with the relevant ministers and officials in all levels of government.
The HIA is also principally a lobby organization, “looking after the interests of participants in the home building industry such as builders, designers, architects, manufacturers, suppliers and individual tradespeople.
“Our current membership stands at about 40,000 in all states and territories and, while we have a number of the big companies such as Bluescope and Bunnings as members, we predominantly represent small to medium size businesses and contractors,” says Cooke.
Services That The HIA Provides
Cooke is quick to explain the services that the HIA provides. “HIA is a significant employer of apprentices, which we hire out to host trainers as a way of ensuring a steady flow of young people into the workforce. In the same area, we also promote our YouthBuild scheme which aims at a smooth transition from school to work for young people interested in a career in the building and construction industry.”
The HIA also provides services to its members such as advice and assistance with legal issues, occupational health and safety problems, and dealing with the various layers of regulation. They also run expos and home shows in conjunction with outside partners in order to give access to the latest products and techniques to members and the general public alike. There is also a GreenSmart system to promote sensible, sustainable building design, and the HIA also produces a number of publications.
How Do Home Owners Benefit from the HIA?
Cooke emphasizes that it is not only industry members that benefit from the HIA’s services, saying that “a happy homeowner means a profitable time for our members.
“If there is a complaint against one of our members, it is heard independently of the HIA. In the most serious of cases, it will result in expulsion, which is the ultimate sanction for a voluntary organization such as ours.
“We take up the case of first home buyers who cannot afford to get into the new home market because of land prices artificially inflated by State Government stamp duty, infrastructure levies, etc. we advocate more low cost housing and public housing for people who, for one reason or another, are never going to be mainstream home buyers.
“The consumer columns also give a vast range of advice across all areas hopefully encouraging members of the public with their home buying, renovation, extension plans and so on.”
Printer Friendly Version
References
Related Categories
Building