The Industrial Magistrates Court has ruled that an aged care worker was entitled to almost $10,000 for unpaid long service leave after being employed on a casual basis for 13 years. The casual personal care assistant worked for Atlantic Healthcare Services (Ubiquitous Holdings Pty Ltd) between 2001 and 2014 and during this period was placed with a number of health care clients. Private Sector...
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, 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...
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 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...
With only a few months remaining on his agreed five year ban from working in the industry, a Tapping air conditioning salesman appears to be back in business with Consumer Protection receiving recent complaints. Since 2005 Alwyn Robert Healy , while operating under several business names, has attracted a total of about 180 consumer complaints. These complaints mostly related to Mr Healy’s claims...
Winter has officially arrived and many of us have already dragged out the winter woollies, electric blankets and hot water bottles, so here is a timely reminder about using these products safely. Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping said a number of winter warmer products may pose a safety risk if they are old, worn or not used properly. “As with any product, but particularly...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 26 cents per litre (cpl) to 124 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 3 June 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Coles Express hiking by 39 cpl up to 135.9 cpl; BP and Caltex up to 131.9 cpl; Caltex...
It’s every landlord’s worst nightmare – receiving a call from the police with the news their investment property has been turned into a hydroponic cannabis farm. Unfortunately that’s the reality for a growing number of Western Australian landlords recently, following further raids by the Organised Crime Squad, which continues investigating networks of Vietnamese crime gangs posing as tenants to...
Framework for rent relief negotiations between commercial tenants and landlords Code applies to small businesses with turnover of less than $50 million a year Landlords required to respond to written requests from tenants in 14 days The McGowan Government has introduced a new code of conduct to help commercial tenants and landlords reach agreements about rent during the COVID-19 coronavirus...
Fake websites pretending to sell farm machinery are increasing in number as the number of victims and their losses also increase. WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection has now received reports from nine people losing a total of $142,975 after they paid for tractors and other farm machinery that were advertised at greatly discounted prices on fake websites, but the goods never turned up. Originally,...
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...
The State Government has approved extended trading hours for general retail stores in the Perth metropolitan area for the next two public holidays on Monday 1 June 2020 (Western Australia Day) and Monday 28 September 2020 (Queen’s Birthday). These stores will be allowed to open from 8am to 6pm. Normal trading hours for these public holidays are 11am to 5pm. Retailers holding small shop...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 24 cents per litre (cpl) to 120.7 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 27 May 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Caltex, Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express hiking by between 33-36 cpl up to 129.9...
Jobseekers wanting to work in the WA construction industry may be misled by a company offering “introductory” online safety training courses. It is a requirement for people working on a construction site in Australia to have what is known as a “white card” which indicates they have undertaken and passed a safety induction course delivered by a registered training provider. Consumer Protection and...
Shopping online during a global pandemic certainly has its perks – you can order almost anything your heart desires from the safety and comfort of home, while playing your part to reduce the spread of a deadly disease. Therefore it’s little wonder that online shopping sales have boomed during COVID-19, but if you have ordered something from the internet lately, chances are you would have noticed...
Jobseekers wanting to work in the WA construction industry may be misled by a company offering “introductory” online safety training courses. It is a requirement for people working on a construction site in Australia to have what is known as a “white card” which indicates they have undertaken and passed a safety induction course delivered by a registered training provider. Consumer Protection and...
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...
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...
WA’s Commissioner for Consumer Protection is advising travel-buyers to read terms and conditions very carefully and be wary of ‘pay now/book later’ deals when purchasing holidays during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Lanie Chopping said that while regional border restrictions continue to ease in Western Australia, interstate and international travel restrictions are a different story and that...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 24 cents per litre (cpl) to 118.3 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 20 May 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Coles Express hiking by 34 cpl up to 127.9 cpl; 7-Eleven up to 126.9 cpl; Caltex,...
The McGowan Government has created a free conciliation service to assist renters and landlords reach agreement about coronavirus (COVID-19) related tenancy disputes, without having to go to court. The aim of the Residential Tenancies Mandatory Conciliation Service (RTMCS) is for all sides to reach a fair and achievable solution through informal discussion. Unlike court where a decision is imposed...
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 ‘...
Consumer Protection has received reports from seven victims of scams where COVID-19 was used in the plot to steal a total of about $68,000. Most were the victims of fake websites, social media pages and advertisements in which COVID-19 was used as an excuse for why their online purchases had not been delivered. A Perth-based Chinese student lost $13,800 when scammers called to report her COVID-19...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 25 cents per litre (cpl) to 115.8 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 13 May 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Coles Express hiking by 34 cpl up to 125.9 cpl; Puma up to 125.7 cpl; Caltex...
Water Corporation, in consultation with Building and Energy, made changes to their water meter relocation process as of 29 April 2020. The changes are designed to better align processes with water services legislation and plumbing regulations, as well as to improve safety when working on or near Water Corporation assets. Key changes to the water meter relocation process: The customer will need to...
