A former Ringwood business owner was prosecuted by a Magistrate for allowing unlicensed and unregistered plumbers to work at a property in Croydon.
Nigel Cawse pleaded guilty to allowing the plumbers to carry out seriously defective work at a Croydon property.
The Magistrate fined Cawse $12,000 without conviction for four breaches of the Building Act in relation to roof replacement work and sanitary drainage.
It comes after the Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA) crackdown on this illegal practice of employing or hiring unlicensed and unregistered workers.
Since mid-October, VBA inspectors have visited more than 1200 building sites where 33 unregistered workers were identified, with five employers also found to be involved in permitting these workers on site.
A VBA investigation found Cawse, in 2020 and 2021, allowed his employees to carry out plumbing work in the prescribed class of roofing for stormwater purposes when they were not authorised to undertake any form of plumbing work.
Cawse, who was also an unlicensed and unregistered plumber at the time, quoted almost $37,000 worth of work, which was later found to be seriously defective with a repair bill of $45,000.
During this period, Cawse was the sole director of Ausbuilt Plumbing and Maintenance Group Pty Ltd before it went into voluntary liquidation in March 2021.
The Magistrate told Cawse she would have imposed a fine of $20,000 and recorded a conviction if not for his guilty plea.
She said the fine was necessary in achieving the objective of the Building Act and the important role the VBA plays in protecting the safety and health of the community.
The successful prosecution comes as the VBA warns consumers of the dangers of hiring unregistered or unlicensed practitioners as part of a crackdown on the illegal practice.
“Unregistered practitioners are a threat to safety and can leave consumers with no course of action when their work is seriously defective,” VBA commissioner and chief executive officer Anna Cronin said.
Homeowners are being warned not to hire practitioners who fail to provide proof of their qualifications and credentials for any regulated plumbing work valued at over $750 and for building jobs over $10,000.
Unregistered practitioners are often involved in jobs such as the installation of hot water systems, air conditioning units, gas fittings and the building of decks and pergolas, which can have life threatening consequences if the work is non-compliant.
Digital job-sharing platforms like Airtasker, Hipages and Facebook Marketplace have made it easier for unregistered practitioners to target consumers looking for a cheap option at a time when builders and plumbers are in short supply.
Unregistered practitioners are uninsured, unqualified and operate outside formal regulatory frameworks, leaving consumers with no course of action when something goes wrong other than a lengthy and costly fight through the courts.
“Consumers need to be aware of the risks they take in hiring those without the proper registration or license; if something goes wrong their only option is court,” Ms Cronin said.
The VBA’s statewide inspection blitz will continue over the coming months with the Authority’s own intelligence and data and public tip offs used to inform the locations.
The VBA is focusing on education and awareness but will not hesitate to discipline employers who allow unregistered or unlicensed practitioners to work on their sites.
In the most serious cases, the VBA will prosecute unregistered practitioners through the courts with potential fines of up to $99,000 for an individual and almost half a million dollars for a company.
To find a registered practitioner, go to vba.vic.gov.au/tools/find-practitioner
