Bringing Home Reform: A Principles-Based Approach to Regulation of Construction for Residents' Safety

This article contributes to construction regulatory reform programs currently underway in Australia, the United Kingdom (‘UK’) and beyond. It does so by proposing six regulatory design principles in pursuit of a goal of ensuring that dwellings are built so as to keep residents safe. The article critically examines perspectives from regulatory theory, workplace health and safety, and civil aviation to distil the six principles. It concludes by offering an example of how the principles may holistically be applied as a tool for regulatory analysis and design in the context of construction practitioner competence.