Victorian Building Authority

The VBA wants your help to crack down on unregistered or unlicensed practitioners. You can now report the illegal practice via our new online tip off form: bit.ly/3YXHCLG For building jobs over $10,000 and plumbing jobs over $750, always make sure your practitioner is registered or licensed before you hire them. You can check via our Find a Practitioner tool on the VBA website.

In case you missed it, here’s a recap of news coverage of the VBA's Supreme Court injunction against Peninsula Building Projects Pty Ltd and director Clancy John (CJ) Fulton. More information at our website: go.vic.gov.au/41IWOPP

The VBA has been granted a Supreme Court injunction against Peninsula Building Projects Pty Ltd and Clancy John Fulton, who do not hold registration under the Building Act. The order prohibits Fulton and his company from carrying on any business as a builder or performing building work, pending a hearing next year. More information at our website: https://lnkd.in/geN_7CTx --- Disclaimer: Other entities or individuals may have similar titles to those subject to disciplinary or legal action. You can check a practitioner’s license, registration or disciplinary and prosecution history at the VBA website vba.vic.gov.au.

Bushfire shelters (bunkers) must meet strict fire safety Performance Requirements as set out in the National Construction Code and require a building permit to install. Using unapproved structures such as sheds for shelter during a bushfire can pose serious risk to life. Bunkers are not a substitute for having a bushfire plan in place. Leaving early is the safest option. More information: https://lnkd.in/gbfNTBXX

The VBA has prosecuted an individual over seriously defective plumbing work carried out by unlicensed and unregistered tradespeople at a property in Croydon. Nigel Cawse has been fined $12,000 by a magistrate for allowing employees to undertake roofing (stormwater) work when they were not authorised to carry out any class of plumbing work. Cawse quoted almost $37,000 for the work, which was later found to be seriously defective with a repair bill of $45,000. He was also unlicensed and unregistered. Read more at the VBA website: https://lnkd.in/gsrbsCBj

We’ve made it easier to report individuals carrying out building or plumbing work without a license or registration in Victoria. Tip-offs are an important part of how the VBA monitors industry compliance to maintain standards and help keep consumers safe. The new tip-off form at our website only takes a few minutes to fill out: https://lnkd.in/gBhi_f9H

The VBA's final Plumbing Technical Bulletin for 2024 is out. In this edition we recap the major reforms coming to the VBA next year with the formation of the Building & Plumbing Commission, and provide details on compliance certificates, heat pump installation and more. Our bulletins help practitioners stay up to date with industry standards to ensure their work remains safe and compliant. Read the bulletin: https://lnkd.in/gJgnXDeE

VBA inspectors are out in the field every day checking new builds for safety and compliance. Our team is targeting apartment construction sites across the state, inspecting balconies for compliance around water ingress. Practitioners can find detailed guidance on preventing water ingress at our website: go.vic.gov.au/4iwjVDi Don’t get caught out. Avoid costly mistakes and be part of the solution by preventing problems before they happen.

If your swimming pool holds more than 30cm of water then it must have a compliant safety barrier. This includes permanent pools, above-ground pools, indoor pools, hot tubs, bathing or wading pools and some relocatable pools. Small inflatable pools that do not contain multiple components and do not require any assembly are not subject to the barrier requirements. Read more: go.vic.gov.au/3Dhn9u0

The VBA has suspended building surveyor Peter Rontogiannis and issued a record $300,000 in fines. He faces cancellation of his registration and disqualification from the industry for three years – the statutory maximum. Rontogiannis' 224 alleged offences include persistent failures to comply with past disciplinary action, falsifying documents and a pattern of widespread incompetence as a building surveyor across 73 sites. He is appealing the suspension at VCAT. More information at the VBA website: https://lnkd.in/gEf-8ANk