Announcements

Showing 226 - 250 of 320 results
The Building Services Board has issued a formal caution to a Mullaloo builder after his partner’s business entered into a contract to do a $300,000 commercial fit-out, but the registration and building approval documents were issued to him as an individual building contractor. In 2018, the City of Joondalup received a building permit application and a notice of completion that identified Dwayne...
Building and Energy
Media release
06 Aug 2020
A Bridgetown builder has been formally cautioned for negligent conduct after he carried out work without a building permit. The Building Services Board found Matthew Dean Jansen (BC101487, BP101779) breached WA’s building registration laws during a home construction project in Bridgetown, which he took over in April 2019 after the original builder went into liquidation. Mr Jansen started work at...
Building and Energy
Media release
06 Aug 2020
WA’s energy safety regulator is urging consumers, sellers and importers to check that household electrical equipment is approved for sale in Australia after two retail chains each received $5,000 fines for selling illegal and potentially hazardous lamps. Building and Energy issued the infringement notices after a site inspection revealed some Turkish-style lamps in the stores lacked the required...
Building and Energy
Media release
05 Aug 2020
Amendments to the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 are being drafted to include new plumbing standards for subdivision plumbing work in relation to survey strata schemes. The changes are outlined in Industry Bulletin 125 – New requirements for plumbing services to survey strata lot developments . A free information session is also being offered to inform the Western...
Building and Energy
Department News
27 Jul 2020
A North Perth electrician has been ordered to pay more than $27,000 in fines and costs for a potentially lethal wiring error that caused two tradesmen to receive electric shocks at a building site near Rockingham. A criminal trial concluded at Perth Magistrates Court on 10 June 2020 when Santo Sgroi (EW105860) was found guilty of breaching WA’s electricity licensing regulations following a...
Building and Energy
Media release
13 Jul 2020
On 1 July 2020, NCC 2019 Amendment 1 was adopted. Note (as below): Western Australia has transitional provisions in place for the adoption of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) which is Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code (NCC). Key changes A new provision, A2.2(4), in the Governing Requirements to require (from 1 July 2021) that a process be followed when creating and...
Building and Energy
Department News
13 Jul 2020
The objective of energy efficiency provisions in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and for a dwelling, this requires compliance with the minimum energy efficiency Performance Requirements that relate to the building envelope and its fixed domestic services. When applying these provisions for residential dwellings, building surveyors, designers and...
Building and Energy
Department News
09 Jul 2020
Clause 3.7.5.5 – Installation of smoke alarms is a new clause that has been introduced to the residential Fire Safety provisions of the 2019 edition of the Building Code of Australia (BCA 2019), Volume Two of the National Construction Code. Clause 3.7.5.5 Installation of smoke alarms Smoke alarms required by 3.7.5.3 and 3.7.5.4 must be installed on or near the ceiling, in accordance with the...
Building and Energy
Department News
02 Jul 2020
In response to feedback, Water Corporation has provided clarification and guidance to ensure the effective application of the new water meter relocation process. The process change increases safety for plumbers working near Water Corporation assets and better aligns their processes with water services legislation and plumbing regulations. The following considerations aim to improve how the...
Building and Energy
Department News
29 Jun 2020
Did you know that a pool gate must open away from the swimming pool area and that pool gate hinges need to be installed at certain locations and meet the relevant Australian Standard? Statistically, pool gates are considered to be a high-risk area and are largely identified as being the most common: entry point for young children that drown in pools; and element of non-compliance picked up during...
Building and Energy
Department News
29 Jun 2020
Building and Energy is letting building industry practitioners know about its new private swimming and spa pool safety barrier checklist. It is a simple self-assessment tool to check the basic elements of a pool’s safety barrier. The checklist is not intended to replace the four-yearly inspection conducted by the relevant local government to verify compliance. Whilst the checklist isn’t...
Building and Energy
Department News
29 Jun 2020
On 17 February 2020, Standards Australia and the Commonwealth Government announced they will make AS 3959:2018 - Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas accessible to all Australians at no cost to the public until 30 June 2021. AS 3959:2018 provides guidance to professionals in the building and construction industry and is primarily concerned with improving the ability of buildings in...
Building and Energy
Department News
29 Jun 2020
On 1 May 2020 amendments to the Strata Titles Act 1985 (STA) and consequential amendments to the Building Act 2011 (Building Act) and Building Regulations 2012 came into effect that streamline provisions of the Building Act dealing with strata proposals. A number of Building Act forms have also been discontinued to reduce duplication and additional costs. The discontinued forms are: BA11...
Building and Energy
Department News
29 Jun 2020
The Building Commissioner is warning consumers about a company that is entering into home building contracts without a current and valid home indemnity insurance (HII) policy, putting WA home buyers at risk. Building Commissioner Kristin Berger is investigating claims that registered building contractor Western Australian Construction Pty Ltd (BC102149) , despite its eligibility for HII being...
Building and Energy
Media release
27 Jun 2020
As interest in new homes and renovations intensifies due to State and Federal stimulus packages, WA’s building regulator is reminding consumers about important considerations before committing to a building contract. “Building a house is an exciting decision and it is understandable to want your plans to progress quickly, particularly with the current grants to boost the building and construction...
Building and Energy
Media release
25 Jun 2020
As part of a new service delivery model announced by Building and Energy, most WA home owners who lodge a complaint against a building service provider will no longer have to provide an independent inspection report to prove the defects. WA’s current building complaints process usually requires home owners to arrange and pay for an independent building inspection report, costing up to $4,000,...
Building and Energy
Media release
25 Jun 2020
WA’s energy safety regulator is warning of the potentially fatal dangers of DIY electrical devices after a WA man died while allegedly handling a homemade high-voltage appliance used for wood art. Building and Energy is continuing to investigate the electrocution incident, which occurred in the Great Southern region in March. The electrical device was set up for a technique known as Lichtenberg...
Building and Energy
Media release
23 Jun 2020
Western Power has been fined $75,000 and told to address “systemic failures” at management level after a connection error caused three Yokine homes to become live with dangerous levels of electricity, resulting in almost $5,500 damage to electrical appliances. The network operator was sentenced at Perth Magistrates Court on 13 May 2020 after pleading guilty to breaching WA’s electricity...
Building and Energy
Media release
08 Jun 2020
WA’s building regulator is working closely with industry to improve understanding of bushfire building requirements after an inspection report highlighted some areas that were unsatisfactory. Most new residential buildings constructed in WA’s designated bushfire-prone areas need to include specific bushfire-resistant construction that meets Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements. The type...
Building and Energy
Media release
03 Jun 2020
Building and Energy continues to receive requests from gas fitters and builders for variations in order to comply with the requirements of outdoor gas water heaters installed at heights above 2.5m. The requests are often due to the gas fitter receiving a Notice of Defect (NOD) for non-compliance from an installation inspector. Before installing an outdoor gas appliance refer to the relevant...
Building and Energy
Department News
03 Jun 2020
Background Recently, there has been several reported incidents relating to the failure of LP Gas installation regulators where the downstream piping, apparatus and appliances were exposed to dangerously high pressures.
LP Gas regulator without over pressure protection
LP Gas regulator without over pressure protection, by Gas
LP Gas regulator without over pressure protection Fig 1: Example of a 33 year old LP Gas installation regulator that does not incorporate over...
Building and Energy
Department News
03 Jun 2020
A Parmelia man has been fined $5,000 after his application for building practitioner registration was found to include incorrect or misleading information, including falsified references. Lipeng Cao was also ordered to pay $1,000 in costs when a State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) matter concluded on 11 May 2020 following disciplinary proceedings commenced by Building and Energy. Mr Cao’s...
Building and Energy
Media release
28 May 2020
As many businesses prepare to reopen, WA’s plumbing regulator is urging owners and managers of recently unoccupied buildings to ensure that hot and cold water services are thoroughly flushed before use to clear potentially hazardous stagnation. Building and Energy is supporting an advisory note issued by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), which warns that water quality could change if it...
Building and Energy
Media release
21 May 2020
A Perth tradesman has pleaded guilty to carrying out work that requires builder registration when he undertook a $40,000 roof and patio project, which also resulted in workmanship issues and months of delays. At Midland Magistrates Court on 11 May 2020, Ross Zedric Newbold of Alfresco Living WA was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay costs of $953.50 for breaching WA’s building registration laws...
Building and Energy
Media release
20 May 2020
Heating appliances will soon be emerging from hibernation as cooler weather sets in, particularly with many of us working from home this winter. If you are using a gas heater, our colleagues at Building and Energy have issued a timely warning about the dangers of exposure to carbon monoxide, which can leak from faulty, poorly maintained or misused gas appliances. Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘...
Building and Energy / Consumer Protection
Media release
14 May 2020

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