A building company has been penalised $10,000 by the Victorian regulator for carrying out demolition work without a permit.
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) found that Black Rock Builders Pty Ltd, registration CDB-U 52578, removed several sections of a Highett property, including part of the roof structure, before being allowed to do so.
The VBA's Director of Compliance and Enforcement, David Brockman, said that Black Rock had shown complete disregard for the strict building permit and registration processes set up to safeguard the reputation of Victoria's building industry.
"We will not hesitate to act on any illegal work being undertaken. Practitioners need to understand that they must wait for a permit to be issued before engaging in any demolition," Mr Brockman said.
"It is important that all practitioners know the rules and abide by them for the safety of all Victorians and to maintain the integrity of the Victorian building industry."
Black Rock's company director and builder Matthew Ellis admitted in the VBA's investigation to beginning demolition work at the Highett site in February 2019 before the relevant building surveyor issued the permit.
The VBA later found that demolition had begun at the rear of the existing dwelling, including the removal of windows, the rear half of the ground floor roof frame, the suspended floor slab and external wall cladding on the western wall of the first floor.
The VBA's investigation found that Black Rock had breached its obligations under the Building Act.
Mr Brockman said that failure to follow the correct process would not be tolerated.
"In this case, Mr Ellis allowed his company Black Rock to knowingly contravene the rules, by carrying out demolition work in the absence of a permit. This is unacceptable conduct," he said.
"The company subsequently complied with the building surveyor's regulatory intervention and showed genuine remorse."
Mr Ellis can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for review of the decision.
Victorians wanting to engage a builder or plumber can visit vba.vic.gov.au/find
The VBA has an online consumer resource portal with information for anyone who is experiencing issues with builders or plumbers.
