Practical Enforcement, Real Outcomes: Clear processes, sound decisions, defensible results

VMBSG’s Mid-year Training Day is designed for municipal building surveyors, building inspectors, and planning/building leaders involved in enforcement, compliance and decision-making.

This is a strongly practical day featuring real scenarios and case walk-throughs, covering the key steps that support defensible outcomes – from effective interviews and informant statements, through to court proceedings and the Building Appeals Board process.

The focus is on clear, consistent processes, procedural fairness, evidence preparation, and managing expectations when decisions are tested.

The Training Day concludes with a panel discussion and Q&A, offering practical insights and strategies to strengthen confidence, consistency and outcomes across council teams.

Outcomes: what you will understand

By attending VMBSG’s Mid-year Training Day, participants will gain a clearer understanding of:

• how to approach enforcement and compliance matters using clear, consistent and defensible processes
• the purpose, structure and importance of an informant statement
• how to conduct more effective interviews while maintaining procedural fairness and accuracy
• what good evidence preparation looks like before a matter is tested
• how a matter may progress through court proceedings
• what to expect during the Building Appeals Board process
• the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in hearings and appeals
• how decisions are reached, and what different hearing pathways may mean in practice
• what happens after a decision is made, including post-hearing obligations and compliance
• how to better manage expectations when decisions are challenged, appealed or tested
• practical strategies to strengthen confidence, consistency and outcomes across council teams

Why this all matters to you

Enforcement and compliance work is often complex, high-pressure and closely scrutinised.

For municipal building surveyors, building inspectors and council leaders, the strength of a decision is not only based on the final outcome. It is also shaped by the process followed, the quality of the evidence gathered, the fairness of the approach taken, and the ability to clearly explain and defend each step.

This Training Day brings together experienced legal, investigative and regulatory practitioners to walk through the key stages that support better enforcement outcomes, from interviews and informant statements through to court, appeals, decisions and post-hearing compliance.

The day is designed to help council teams feel more confident when managing difficult matters, preparing evidence, responding to challenges and making decisions that may later be reviewed, questioned or tested.

Most importantly, it provides practical insight into how to reduce risk, improve consistency and support decisions that are fair, well-documented and defensible.

Our presenters