‘Not concerned by the optics’: Building commissioner attended party for developer facing severe disciplinary action

Building Commissioner James Sherrard attended the completion ceremony for a development project despite being aware of an investigation that ultimately resulted in the developer being fined $220,000 for conduct deemed of “extreme severity”.During budget estimates on Monday, Sherrard defended appearing at Aland’s celebration of their Archibald Project on the Central Coast in December 2025, saying he was unconcerned about the optics of supporting a developer that was facing disciplinary proceedings by his agency.The evidence emphasises the new approach adopted under Sherrard’s leadership – distinct from his predecessor David Chandler, who regularly named and shamed developers – as part of efforts to boost confidence in the mid-tier apartment market.Building Commissioner James Sherrard (left) defended his appearance at a developer’s completion ceremony.James BrickwoodSherrard said he attended Aland’s glitzy completion ceremony because the investigative phase of the proceedings was largely complete, and he knew “substantially what was involved”.“I don’t interfere with the investigation process being undertaken by investigators, and I keep at arm’s length from the disciplinary proceedings team in making a determination about what penalties to apply,” he said.Sherrard’s appearance alongside Premier Chris Minns was flaunted by the developer in content distributed on the company’s social media pages after the event.The Building Commission’s investigation into Aland, chief executive Andrew Hrsto and some of the company’s employees revolved around three allegations, including removing live overhead cables despite warnings from Endeavour Energy about the dangers, and the engagement of three unlicensed subcontractors.The disciplinary proceedings found Aland’s overall conduct so egregious that the suspension, cancellation and permanent disqualification of the contractor licence were considered. But the report states those measures would impact “innocent consumers and exacerbate the housing crisis in Sydney” while “jeopardising Aland’s reputation and commercial standing”.It also found Hrsto’s conduct “fell short of the standard of competence, diligence and integrity that a member of the public is entitled to reasonably expect of a reasonably competent practitioner”. He was issued with a $40,000 fine and was required to complete compliance training.Sherrard said he had met most of the state’s significant class-two developers, adding he would be “reluctant” to attend a function of a company that had failed to fulfil the regulator’s orders.“If we’ve got what I’d consider a hostile environment with a developer or a builder or an industry group, then I won’t attend a function, but I attend hundreds and hundreds of functions a year,” said Sherrard, defining a hostile environment as where the company was “being challenging” in their response.Pressed by Greens MP Cate Faehmann about the risk his appearance at the Aland event could seem “too cosy”, Sherrard responded: “No, I’m not concerned by the optics. I’m glad to have this opportunity to clarify it.”Despite having a number of historical problems, Aland was a good example of what the Building Commission was looking for in the industry, given the developer had been “actively and effectively” meeting with the regulator, Sherrard said.After engaging consultant Korn Ferry, the developer had reformed their governance procedures, including sacking six senior executives.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.From our partners