---
title: "Security of payment: payment schedule with reasons for withholding (NSW, with Queensland and Victorian notes)"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/precedents/construction-and-infrastructure/sop-payment-schedule"
type: "precedent"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "a11-sop-payment-schedule"
area_id: "A11"
kind: "notice"
ai_level: "red"
version: 1
law_stated_as_at: "2026-10-17"
---

# Security of payment: payment schedule with reasons for withholding (NSW, with Queensland and Victorian notes)

> Payment schedule responding to a security of payment claim, stating the scheduled amount and every reason for withholding item by item, because reasons left out generally cannot be raised at adjudication.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/precedents/construction-and-infrastructure/sop-payment-schedule  
Law stated as at: 2026-10-17

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

- Kind: Notice. A formal notice to serve or publish.
- Practice area: [Construction & Infrastructure](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/construction-and-infrastructure.md)
- Jurisdictions: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
- AI level: Red. Keep AI out of the decisive steps. A lawyer does the work.
- Law stated as at: 2026-10-17
- Status: Maintained. Checked on 2026-10-17 against the 5 authorities it cites, for New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

## When to use it

Use when a respondent receives a payment claim under the NSW Act (or adapt for Queensland or Victoria) and intends to pay less than the claimed amount. Serve it within the contract period or the statutory period, whichever ends first.

## How AI may be used

Lawyer-led. AI may map each claimed item to the contract, site records and assessments, but reasons not included in the schedule may be shut out at adjudication, so the lawyer settles every reason.

**AI may:**

- Build the item-by-item table comparing claimed and assessed amounts, with document references.
- Collect candidate reasons from the superintendent's assessment, defects reports and correspondence for the lawyer to review.
- Check that every claimed item has a response line and a reason where the amount is reduced.

**AI must not:**

- Must not decide which reasons to include or omit.
- Must not calculate liquidated damages or set-offs as final figures without lawyer review of the contract.
- Must not serve the schedule or calculate the final deadline without lawyer confirmation.

**The lawyer checks:**

- Every reason the respondent may want to rely on at adjudication is stated in the schedule.
- Each reason is specific enough for the claimant to understand it.
- The schedule is served before the earlier of the contract period and the statutory period.
- Set-off, liquidated damages and contra-charges are permitted by the contract and quantified.

## Authorities

- [Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) s 14 (payment schedule; 10 business days)](https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1999-046#sec.14)
- [Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) s 20(2A), (2B) (no adjudication response without a schedule; no new reasons)](https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1999-046#sec.20)
- [Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld) ss 69, 76, 82(4) (schedule content; 15 business days; no new reasons)](https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2017-043#sec.76)
- [Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) s 15 (payment schedule; 10 business days)](https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/building-and-construction-industry-security-payment-act-2002)
- [Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; 2018 HCA 4 (no certiorari for non-jurisdictional error of law on the face of the record)](https://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases-and-judgments/judgments/judgments-1998-current/probuild-constructions-aust-pty-ltd-v-shade-systems-pty-ltd)

## Full text and drafting notes

The full text and the drafting notes are not part of this public page. Signed-in firm accounts can read them at https://ailawframework.com/precedents/construction-and-infrastructure/sop-payment-schedule and through the signed-in MCP connector https://ailawframework.com/mcp/firm.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*