Wayne Liddy Elected National President

At its meeting on 5 December 2024, the Board of AIBS elected Victoria Board Director and Vice President, Wayne Liddy, as national leader for the next two years.

Troy Olds, who has served as National President for the past six years, nominated Mr Liddy for the leadership role saying it is time for a refreshed approach. Mr Olds will continue on the Board as South Australia Director.

Western Australia Board Director, Richard Attiwell, was elected National Vice President.

Mr Liddy said he was honoured to be supported by his colleagues on the Board for the leadership role. He has a long-term track record advocating for AIBS and the profession of building surveying both in his home state of Victoria and nationally. He has been an AIBS Board Director representing Victoria since 2011 and, over the past 13 years, he has been a major influence in driving positive change for building surveyors and for consumers of building services in Victoria and nationally through the AIBS Board.

Under Mr Liddy’s leadership in Victoria, AIBS has relentlessly advocated to government for many of the industry reforms recently announced by the Allen State Government including elevation of the role of the State Building Surveyor to a statutory level, greater support for building surveyors, restructuring of the regulator, the Victorian Building Authority, and more recently, the announced reorganisation of the VBA into the Building and Plumbing Commission. 

These positive reforms are largely due to the unwavering AIBS advocacy in Victoria over many years.

A strong supporter of the AIBS Professional Standards Scheme for Building Surveyors, Mr Liddy was a Board Director during the conception, development and implementation of the Scheme which was legislated in all Australian jurisdictions in 2021 and to date remains the only professional standards scheme for building surveyors in Australia. This year, in addition to existing arrangements in Queensland and South Australia, membership of the AIBS Scheme was accepted in Victoria as a means of registering to practice as a building surveyor. 

“The AIBS Scheme is the key to securing our future in the industry as true professionals with the professional standards and the ethics to gain the trust of other industry participants and the public including consumers of building services,” he said. “Over the next two years, I will be pushing very hard for the Scheme to be recognised for registration in all jurisdictions.”

Mr Liddy paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of Troy Olds during his eight years on the AIBS Board, six as National President.

“Troy has led us through a series of challenges including the cladding crisis, the insurance crisis and a vast number of other very tough issues,” he said. “And he has done that with astute judgement and total commitment to the organisation and to building surveying.

“We now have a very solid platform on which to build as AIBS is in great shape and the future for building surveying looks very bright. Working together, I am sure we will thrive in the face of challenges and change as we progress.”