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...
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,...
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...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 28 cents per litre (cpl) to 132.2 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 24 June 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Caltex Woolworths, Coles Express and Caltex hiking by between 39 – 40 cpl up to 141...
Failing to lodge security bonds on time has resulted in a South Perth real estate agency and its director being fined a total of $5,000, following mediation in the State Administrative Tribunal. MI Real Estate Pty Ltd, trading as Soco Realty, had accepted security bonds from three tenants in the southern suburbs, but failed to lodge them as soon as practicable, or within 14 days, as required by...
Many private sector WA awards require employers to pay an employee working in certain regional towns a location allowance to compensate for the additional cost of living, climatic discomfort, and isolation in these towns. The location allowance is varied in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the cost of living, excluding housing. The location allowance payable for each town has...
Consumers seeking mental health services are being warned about a North Fremantle man who is masquerading as a psychologist. Tyson John Vacher , aka Dr John Vacher and trading as John Vacher Psychology , has been making false or misleading statements on his website jvpsychology (dot) com regarding his experience and qualifications. Mr Vacher has stated on his website jvpsychology dot com that he...
The death of a 76-year-old farmer last month at Elleker, west of Albany, has prompted a reminder about quad bike safety. The farmer went out on a quad bike to do some checks on the afternoon of May 24. He had not returned that evening and was later found deceased on the farm. His quad bike was operated on a steep incline in wet and windy weather, and it appeared it was being ridden down the slope...
If you’re stuck in a deadlock with your landlord or tenant over a COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic related tenancy issue, a new service can help resolve the dispute without needing to step foot inside a courtroom. Our recently launched Residential Tenancies Mandatory Conciliation Service (RTMCS) is a free process that aims to help both sides come to an agreement through informal discussion in a...
The third phase of consultation on proposed changes to retirement village laws in WA is looking at difficulties consumers considering seniors accommodation can experience in determining whether a village operates under the Retirement Villages Act (RV Act). The setting up of a public register is a proposal being put forward to assist in identifying whether a particular village is covered under the...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by around 26 cents per litre (cpl) to 128.8 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 17 June 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Coles Express hiking by 38 cpl up to 139.9 cpl; 7-Eleven and BP up to 137.9 cpl;...
A wide variety of investment scams have claimed 65 victims in WA so far this financial year with losses totalling $4,983,000 being reported to WA ScamNet at Consumer Protection. The victims responded to cold callers, emails and enticing advertisements on social media making false claims of low risk and high returns. The bogus investments being offered included shares, foreign exchange, binary...
Winter has officially arrived and many of us have already dragged out the winter woollies, electric blankets and hot water bottles, but it’s important to make sure we are using these items safely. Electric blankets, hot water bottles, heat (or wheat) packs and children’s sleepwear are just some of the winter items that can pose an injury risk if they are old, worn or not used properly. As with...
Wageline’s new WA long service leave calculator is now available in the long service leave section of the Wageline website. The WA long service leave calculator can provide an estimate of an employee’s long service leave entitlement when employment ends as a result of resignation, dismissal, death or redundancy. The WA long service leave calculator is relevant to employees covered by the WA Long...
The average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) is set to increase by over 27 cents per litre (cpl) to 126.7 cpl tomorrow, so FuelWatch is encouraging Perth drivers, if they can, to fill up today to save money. FuelWatch advises that on Wednesday 10 June 2020, most branded retailers are hiking their ULP price: Coles Express hiking by 38 cpl up to 137.9 cpl; BP up to 136.9 cpl; Caltex...
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...
Let’s say you’d found the car or caravan of your dreams, even signed on the dotted line, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and you could no longer go through with the deal – you may be wondering what costs you’re liable to pay. Consumer Protection has recently received a number of enquiries from consumers in the same position, who want to break the contract of sale due to job losses or travel...
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...
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...
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...
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...
