Nigel Cawse pleaded guilty to allowing unlicensed and unregistered 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.
At the time, Cawse was the sole director of Ausbuilt Plumbing & Maintenance Group Pty Ltd before it went into voluntary liquidation in March 2021.
A VBA investigation found Cawse, in 2020 and 2021, allowed his employees to carry out plumbing work in the prescribed class of roofing (stormwater) when they were not authorized to carry out any class of plumbing work.
Cawse, who was also an unlicensed and unregistered plumber at the time, quoted almost $37,000. The work was later found to be seriously defective with a repair bill of $45,000.
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.
Teams of VBA inspectors have visited approximately 1200 building sites since mid-October with 33 unregistered workers identified. Five employers have also been found to be involved in permitting unregistered work on their building sites.
The VBA wants your help to stamp out this illegal practice. If you know of an unregistered builder or plumber, you can report them to us via this online tip off form: Report Unregistered Building and Unlicensed Plumbing Work
Consumers should always use a registered builder and a registered or licensed plumber. You can check if your builder and plumber are registered here: Find a Practitioner
Quote attributable to VBA Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer Anna Cronin
"Unregistered practitioners are a threat to safety and can leave consumers with no course of action when their work is seriously defective."
