DBDRV says that it aims to offer a free, fair and fast service. DBDRV's service is free for consumers and procedurally fair. However, DBDRV is not meeting its benchmark for the time it takes to allocate a case to an officer. 

In April 2017, the Victorian Government established DBDRV to resolve disputes between building owners and their builders before they reach a court or tribunal. There were 92,158 domestic building permits in 2022. A 2016 survey found that one in 4 builds involve a dispute between the owner and builder.

This section summarises our key findings. Sections 2 and 3 detail our complete findings, including supporting evidence.

When reaching our conclusions, we consulted with Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV), other audited agencies and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and considered their views. The agencies’ full responses are in Appendix A.

We made 5 recommendations to address 4 issues. Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria has accepted all in full.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix C: Audit scope and method.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix B. Abbreviations, acronyms and glossary.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix A. Submissions and comments.