The 2018 edition of the Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas (the Map) comes into effect on Friday 1 June 2018. The Map will be available on the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website on the afternoon of Thursday 31 May 2018. This edition of the Map will show both ‘new’ bush fire prone areas and those ‘continuing’ from earlier editions of the Map. All bush fire prone areas will be...

Recall of Clark Rubber Be-Safe Portable Pool Fence On 17 May 2018 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a national product safety recall on the ‘Be Safe Portable Pool Fence’ sold exclusively by Clark Rubber between 1 December 2016 and 5 April 2018. Information about the recall is available on the ACCC’s product safety and Clark Rubber websites: https://www.productsafety...

Western Australian building contractor Archiapps Pty Ltd (reg BC14480) has entered into liquidation. Cameron Shaw and Richard Albarran of Hall Chadwick have been appointed as the liquidators of the company. Building Commissioner Ken Bowron advises that the company’s status will now trigger policies of home indemnity insurance (HII). Affected home owners should contact their insurer for details of...

Building and Energy (formerly Energy Safety ) and WorkSafe have issued a reminder on the importance of understanding and avoiding the electrical hazards in roof spaces, with new regulations coming into effect on Monday (14 May 2018). Director of Energy Safety Ken Bowron today cautioned homeowners to be mindful of the electrical hazards in roof spaces. “Homeowners may need to access the roof space...

Construction Contracts Act videos and fact sheets Building and Energy has undertaken a full redesign of the section of our website which provides information and guidance to industry and the general public in respect of the Construction Contracts Act 2004 (the CCA). The CCA establishes a process through which construction sector participants can access fast, cost effective dispute resolution...

West Australians could be putting their own and their family’s health at risk this winter when they switch on their gas heaters for the first time. Carbon monoxide gas leaking from faulty heaters can be fatal as was the tragic and alarming case of Chase and Tyler Robinson, aged eight and six, who died in 2010 in their home in Shepparton, Victoria. This week, April 30 – May 6 marks the annual...

A voluntary recall is underway of unsafe components of gate latches for swimming pool fences which can cause the gate to be locked in an open position, posing a potential drowning risk for children. The strike component is being recalled, contained in the following latches: SafeTech Top Pull Pool Gate Latch (Key Lockable) G8Safe Top Pull Pool Gate Latch (Key Lockable) SafeTech TriLatch (Key...

A Cannington company and one of its directors have been prosecuted by the Building Commissioner and fined a total of $6,000 for registration offences the company committed while contracting for the fit-out of a Wellard fast food outlet in 2014.

Esperance builders FGS Contracting Pty Ltd (BC101335) and Ryan Wayne Franceschi (BP101345), who is the company’s sole director and nominated supervisor, have been fined $5,000 each and are no longer registered builders in Western Australia.

The consultation period for proposed changes for NCC 2019 is now open and the ABCB is seeking your feedback. The National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Public Comment Draft sees a number of proposed changes resulting from major project work done by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) and the Proposal for Change process. These changes aim to deliver a contemporary code without compromising...

Western Australian builder Cooper & Oxley Builders Pty Ltd (BC8529) has today voluntarily entered into external administration. Richard Albarran and Hugh Shaw from Hall Chadwick have been appointed as administrators of the company. Anyone owed money by the builder, including subcontractors and suppliers, should contact Hall Chadwick on (08) 6557 6200 and register as a creditor. The Department...

The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) has now formally merged the operations of the former Building Commission and Energy Safety to form the new Building and Energy Division. Ken Bowron will lead the Building and Energy team. He holds the statutory positions of the Building Commissioner and the Director of Energy Safety. Building and Energy oversees the regulation of...