A new regulator with new powers
The Victorian Parliament has passed the Building Legislation Amendment (Buyer Protections) Bill 2025—a key milestone in establishing the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC).
This new, more powerful watchdog brings together:
- the Victorian Building Authority (VBA)
- Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria (DBDRV)
- the Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) function of the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA)
With the Bill now passed, the next step is formal proclamation in the Government Gazette.
The Victorian Government is committed to building consumer confidence and supporting homeowners as we transition to a stronger, more integrated regulatory system. We also recognise the important role of the building industry and the pressures it faces. As new powers and regulations are introduced, we’ll continue working with industry, stakeholders and the community to ensure everyone is informed, supported and ready.
Read more at the Victorian Building Authority.
I’ve made a DBI claim with VMIA – how will this affect me?
All terms and conditions of existing VMIA-issued DBI policies will not change.
We will continue to manage all claims on DBI policies we’ve issued until the DBI function is transferred to the Building & Plumbing Commission, at which point all live claims will transfer to the Building & Plumbing Commission. There will be no disruption to your claim from this transfer.
I have a VMIA DBI policy but I haven’t made a claim – how will this affect me?
It is important to note that all terms and conditions of existing VMIA-issued DBI policies will not change.
- If you have a VMIA-issued DBI policy and need to make a claim before the Building & Plumbing Commission is established, you will need to make this claim with us.
- When the Building & Plumbing Commission is established, all VMIA policies will automatically transfer to the Building & Plumbing Commission. This means that all claims made after this date must be made to the Building & Plumbing Commission, even if your DBI policy has VMIA branding.
- New DBI policies that we issue after this announcement will continue to use VMIA’s current terms and conditions.
- DBI Policy Verification will continue working after the transition to the integrated regulator, as will QR codes linking to DBI Policy Verification that exist on all VMIA DBI certificates issued since 30 April 2024.
For further information please call 1300 363 424.
I’m a builder – how will this affect me?
If you currently have eligibility with VMIA, there will be no immediate changes to how you purchase DBI policies or request changes to your level of eligibility. You will continue to purchase policies, and interact with your DBI Distributor, as you currently do. For further information, please contact your DBI Distributor.
If you don’t currently have eligibility with VMIA, you can apply for eligibility with VMIA through one of our DBI Distributors until our functions transfer to the Building & Plumbing Commission. Any applications still in progress at that time will transfer to the Building & Plumbing Commission.
For information on how this will affect your existing DBI insurance and your interactions with the Victorian Building Authority, please visit the VBA website.