Queensland is cracking down on substandard building product imports after a series of high-profile material failures prompted calls for national action.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni says the new laws will ensure “everyone in the building product supply chain will be accountable rather than just the tradie at the end of the line”.

Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers will be required to ensure products are fit for their intended purpose, while Queensland Building and Construction Commission officers will have an expanded testing role.

The reforms will also allow the State Government to recall non-conforming products and issue warnings about them.

Legislative amendments are expected to be in place by the end of the year, Mr de Brenni says.

The issue was highlighted in 2014 by the Lacrosse apartment tower fire in Melbourne and by insulation failures in Infinity electrical cables, which resulted in a nationwide recall.

A Senate committee began investigating non-conforming building products in 2015 but the process was disrupted by last year’s federal election and the terms of reference were later broadened.

An interim report on the illegal import of products containing asbestos is now due by August 31, with an October 31 deadline set for the complete report.