• Certificates for three sites failed to show compliance with building standards
• Projects located in Attadale and White Gum Valley
• Deficient documents misled the City of Melville and City of Fremantle

A Mount Lawley building surveying company and its supervisor have been fined a total of $6,000 for providing deficient certification documents that misled two local governments.

The Building Services Board fined BuildingLines Approvals Pty Ltd (BSC30) and Vance Thompson (BSP311) $3,000 each after finding they engaged in misleading conduct while carrying out building surveying work at three projects.

In 2018, the City of Melville issued a Building Approval Certificate for wall repairs at an Attadale property following demolition of the adjacent house. The approval application by BuildingLines included a Certificate of Building Compliance signed by Mr Thompson.

A subsequent investigation by Building and Energy found the certification documents had inconsistencies and insufficient detail to show compliance with building standards in areas such as structural provisions, fire safety, waterproofing, termite management and energy efficiency.

Building and Energy also found that compliance documents provided by BuildingLines to the City of Fremantle in 2017 for two building projects in White Gum Valley were deficient and lacked key information.

Building and Energy Executive Director Saj Abdoolakhan said registered building surveyors must uphold the high standards expected of their role.

“A thorough and diligent approach is essential when certifying that building plans and building work demonstrate compliance with the National Construction Code because any irregularities can affect the safety, health and amenity of the building occupants,” Mr Abdoolakhan said.

“In this case, the company and supervisor displayed misleading conduct towards the local government permit authorities by falsely representing that plans, specifications and structures demonstrated compliance. In fact, there was insufficient or incorrect information to support this.”

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Media contact: BEmedia@dmirs.wa.gov.au

Note: BSC and BSP numbers refer to registration as a building surveying contractor or a building surveying practitioner. The register is available at: www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-and-energy/find-registered-building-surveyor