In August 2001, the Cole Royal Commission was established to enquire into and report on the nature, extent and effect of any unlawful or otherwise inappropriate conduct in the building and construction industry.
The Final Report of the Cole Royal Commission was tabled in Parliament on 26 and 27 March 2003. It outlined the Royal Commission findings that the industry was characterised by a widespread disregard for the law and that existing regulatory bodies had insufficient powers and resources to enforce the law.
In response to the Cole Royal Commission’s findings, the Building Industry Taskforce was established in October 2002. The Taskforce produced two reports,
Upholding the Law: Findings of the Building Industry Taskforce (September 2005) (PDF 515KB) and
Upholding the Law – One Year On: Findings of the Interim Building Industry Taskforce (March 2004) (PDF 655KB), both of which provide a reflection of its experiences throughout its three years of operation.
The Taskforce operated until the establishment of the Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) on 1 October 2005.
Further information about the history of the ABCC can be found in the History Backgrounder (PDF 310KB).