A person responsible for building or demolition work must ensure that the work does not affect land beyond the boundaries of the works land. However there may be the potential for this to occur in certain circumstances, for example where work is on small sized lots or where construction is close to...
Lodging the application Applications for building, demolition or occupancy permits or for building approval certificates can be submitted in a variety of ways, including in person, by post or electronic lodgement depending on the systems the relevant permit authority has in place. Under the...
Choosing the correct form To provide for consistency in building approvals throughout the state, all the relevant application forms, notices and compliance certificates are approved by the Building Commissioner and available on the Building and Energy website. Providing the correct application form...
In general a person must not carry out building work without a building permit where one is required. However the Building Act allows a person to make an application to the relevant permit authority to approve unauthorised building work in relation to a building and/or incidental structure. This...
Sometimes a building owner or occupier may wish to use the building for a purpose contrary to the approved use or classification of the building detailed on the current occupancy permit. The Building Act sets out the process for obtaining approval for either a change of classification or a change...
The Building Act contains certain provisions requiring prescribed information to be provided to the Fire and Emergency Services (FES) Commissioner. Building surveyor requirements (r. 18B) For certain Class 2 to Class 9 buildings, the building surveyor responsible for signing the certificate of...
The Building Act requires the responsible person (i.e. builder or demolition contractor) to provide certain notices for the completion or suspension of work under a building or demolition permit. Notice of cessation (s. 34) The person named as the builder or demolition contractor on a building or...
As part of its enforcement role, a permit authority can inspect building work and investigate Building Act compliance matters and, where relevant, issue infringement notices, building orders or commence prosecution for non-compliance. There are three types of permit authority: Local government For...
Building in designated bush fire prone areas In Western Australia, building work is required to comply with the performance requirements of the Building Code of Australia (the Building Code), which comprises Volumes One and Two of the National Construction Code Series. The Building Code contains...
Types of permits and their processes One: Building permit Two: Occupancy permit Three: Building approval certificate Four: Occupancy permit strata Five: Building approval certificate strata Six: Demolition permit One Building permit
The Western Australia guide to standards and tolerances 2019 (the Guide) has been developed for use by builders and building owners as a convenient reference for acceptable standards of workmanship...
A statutory review of the Act was undertaken to ensure that it is still applicable to the modern functioning of the architectural industry, reduce red tape where possible, and examine the...
Your home is usually your biggest investment, so it's worth doing your research before deciding who will undertake your building project. Undertaking a few practical checks at the start can help...
Propped open pool gates and faulty latches are a leading cause of drowning deaths in young children. It only takes seconds for a child to drown, so regularly check that the latch is working and never...
Research in Australia and overseas has found that workers fabricating benchtops from stone can be exposed to levels of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) which are hazardous to their health. The...
Will your child and your neighbours’ children be safe while your pool is under construction? Some types of pools need to be filled with water by the pool builder as part of the construction process...
Progress report This report is in response to recommendation 7 of the Ombudsman Western Australia (Ombudsman) report titled Investigation into ways to prevent or reduce deaths of children by drowning...
There are many types of portable pools, ranging from small plastic or inflatable paddling pools, specifically designed for young children, to larger more solid inflatable pools or flexible sided...
The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety administers the Building Services (Complaint Resolution and Administration) Regulations 2011. A series of reviews have been conducted to ensure...
Background This framework document has been devised to set out what might be considered ‘exceptional circumstances’ with reference to Regulation 16(3) of the Building Services (Complaint Resolution...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping After recent cyclones and storms there will be many Western Australians who have been cleaning-up and are now looking to fix property damage, such as roof or fence repairs. Although we haven’t had any reports of travelling conmen or unlicensed traders, we know the calm after the storm is often when they go door-to-door, offering cheap deals...
A 25-year-old Cloverdale man has been fined $3,000 and had his painting registrations cancelled because they were granted based on incorrect or misleading information, including falsified references. Building and Energy commenced disciplinary proceedings against Anwar Hussaini under WA’s building registration laws. The matter concluded at the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) in December 2019...
An Osborne Park building company has been fined for failing to manage and supervise excavation work that caused part of a neighbour’s garage to collapse in Leederville. Danmar Homes Pty Ltd (BC9032) and the company’s nominated supervisor, Robert George Williams (BP7911), were each fined $5,000 by the Building Services Board. Danmar Homes started work on the $2 million apartment development in...
As WA settles in for a season of Christmas lights, barbecues, new outdoor equipment and DIY projects, Building and Energy is sharing its top tips for a safe summer when using gas, electricity, roof spaces and items attached to building structures. Festive lights Building and Energy A/Executive Director Saj Abdoolakhan is encouraging people to ensure their interior and exterior festive lights are...
Message from Building and Energy A/Executive Director, Saj Abdoolakhan *Please note that due to the current Covid-19 pandemic the date for responding to the CRIS has been extended to 30 June 2020 Building and Energy is inviting Western Australians to share their views on ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the commercial building approval...
Electrical safety inspectors from Building and Energy are investigating an electric shock incident that resulted in the tragic death of a 50-year-old man last night. Emergency services and Western Power also responded to the incident, which occurred at the man’s home in The Vines at approximately 6.30pm yesterday (Monday 9 December 2019) . The man was found unresponsive near an outdoor spa pool...
A former building company director has been fined $40,000 in the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) for hiring a group of men to threaten and intimidate five clients in Perth’s western suburbs. Talbot James Le Page was also ordered to pay $2,000 in costs and declared ineligible to be an officer of a building contractor for the maximum period of three years. The SAT also ordered cancellation of...
Our offices will be closed from Wednesday 25 December 2019 to Wednesday 1 January 2020. Normal services will return on Thursday 2 January 2020. For urgent enquiries please visit our contact page.
A mum whose 15-month-old drowned in an unfenced backyard pool has joined Consumer Protection and Royal Life Saving Society WA to launch a start-of-summer pool safety campaign. Royal Life Saving WA CEO, Peter Leaversuch, says the latest National Drowning Report has some tragic statistics: “Last year, there were 16 child drowning deaths and over 200 non-fatal drowning incidents recorded in swimming...
With Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard Did you know that currently when you build a home in Western Australia, such as a one or two storey house, there are no mandatory inspections during, or at the end of, construction? In a recent social media survey run on Consumer Protection’s Facebook page, 55% of respondents wrongly thought local government WAS required to carry out...
