Local governments are working to clear a backlog of inspections of private pool safety barriers in the wake of an Ombudsman Western Australia report on children drowning. The law requires that WA local councils inspect private pools in their jurisdiction at least once every four years to ensure they have complying fences or other safety barriers. In last year’s investigation report on ways to...

In the wake of a sudden ceiling collapse at a Thornlie property last week, home owners are reminded to act promptly on warning signs of ceiling stress. The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has published a handy guide for home owners about signs of instability in interior gypsum plasterboard ceilings and what action can be taken. “A collapsed ceiling can cause serious injury, as...

Mandurah Homes Pty Ltd (BC11088) and the company’s co-director and nominated supervisor, Todd Andrew Green (BP101468) , have each been fined $5,000 by the Building Services Board for failing to manage and supervise a building service. The findings relate to a two-storey Halls Head property, built by Mandurah Homes between 2015 and 2016. On a windy night in July 2017, a section of the home’s tin...

Some quick checks and routine maintenance could have prevented the explosion of a storage water heater outside a home in Perth’s north, according to Building and Energy inspectors who attended the site. The incident is a timely reminder for owners of all storage water heaters – gas, electric and solar – to follow the recommended maintenance schedule, which usually involves simple checks every few...