Embarrassing nanny state red tape strangling builders Romaldi Constructions chief executive Mario Romaldi (left) with MBA policy director Ian Markos. Pic: Mike Burton Source: News Limited BUILDERS are spending more than 20 hours on jobs that should take six, and are forced to complete complicated risk assessments for basic tasks because of "embarrassing" overregulation, their peak industry group says. In its latest policy release, the Master Builders Association has put forward a six-pronged plan to tackle red tape and duplication of regulation, including the establishment of a South Australian productivity commission to report on statewide economic issues. The recently appointed director of policy for the SA branch of the MBA, Ian Markos, said a "nanny state" approach was stifling job creation. There's a raft of laws and regulations. You've got employment laws, you've got taxation laws, you've got environmental laws, you've got work health and safety laws, local council regulations. We're saying enough is enough," he said. We have members telling us of six-hour jobs taking 21 hours, seven-page risk assessments required to use a silicon gun, even when the same information had already been recorded on another form, and even bricklayers battling to understand what their 'hierarchy of controls' are when building a small wall. The MBA says builders have been forced to: EMPLOY three people for a full day to install a window when the underlying job took two people only three hours. SPEND more time filling out a risk assessment on a crane than the crane took to unload the steel on a building site. PAY safety consultants to interpret safety laws before being given reports they still cannot understand. COMPLETE a consultation document and written risk assessment before safety barriers could be installed to protect the public. However, as a former regulator with SafeWork SA, Mr Markos acknowledged the difficulties associated with streamlining a bloated bureaucracy. "When you're talking about bureaucrats, they have a vested interest in writing laws and writing codes to maintain their job," he said. A lot of those bureaucrats have never worked in the private sector. A lot of them don't even mix or meet with the people in the private sector, or have a real understanding of how these rules may affect the people that are trying to run a business and employ people. Romaldi Constructions managing director Mario Romaldi said the Federal Safety Commission was a prime example of unnecessary duplication that was taking a toll on the industry. "Why have our state-based legislation if the Federal Safety Commission is going to overrule it?" he said. While having to manage the copious amounts of paperwork, the guys working on site don't have enough time to keep their eye on the actual safety issues. It is very costly, and especially these days when lots of us are working for small margins, to have that cost imposed could be the difference between winning and losing projects. The MBA is also calling on the State Government to: REQUIRE all new legislation to be supported by a regulatory impact statement and cost-benefit analysis and be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. LOBBY the Federal Government to close the Federal Safety Commission. REMOVE barriers to local participation in State Government projects. SIMPLIFY tendering processes. RECOGNISE, emphasise and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit.