Builders and plumbers put on notice for non-compliance

THE Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is warning builders and plumbers in the Geelong region to make sure their work is compliant or risk further action.
Serious cases of non-compliance risk the safety and amenity of occupants and have the potential to put the public at serious risk if unresolved.
They can also leave owners with large and unwanted debt, as repair costs for serious defects can be substantial if not fixed during construction.
Across the City of Greater Geelong, inspectors found serious cases of non-compliant building work on a third of the 763 sites visited in the region by the VBA’s proactive inspections program in the past financial year.
Significant cases of non-compliant work were found at 12 sites – comprising new home and commercial builds.
Issues identified by the VBA included problems with timber framing, defects in roof drainage systems and non-compliant gas installation, which risks exposing people to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The figures were only slightly better in the Surf Coast Shire, which found 98 cases of serious non-compliance in 325 inspections – a 30 per cent detection rate.
Issues identified included works not built according to the building permit, non-compliant swimming pool safety barriers, non-compliant gutter and downpipe installation, and defective footing and slab construction.
The VBA inspected 28 sites in the Borough of Queenscliffe, detecting serious non-compliance at six of them (21 per cent).
This included inadequate fire separation in internal walls, unreinforced masonry, problems with timber framing, and issues with external waterproofing.
VBA director of inspections and complaints David Brockman said the authority deployed inspectors to scores of active building sites across Victoria every day to maintain standards and protect consumers.
“When we find potential faults, we notify the building practitioner or plumber and require them to fix the issue before the build progresses and owners are left with defective work, additional costs and stress.
“The VBA monitors non-compliant sites for rectification work and only closes the matter when evidence of compliance is provided and verified.
“We want building practitioners and plumbers to learn from their mistakes and avoid making them again, so owners don’t face financial costs and added stress caused by faulty work.”
The most serious non-compliances are referred to the VBA’s investigations team for further action.
Owners can make a complaint about non-compliant building and plumbing work on the VBA website at vba.vic.gov.au.