• Building defects at projects in East Perth, Hillarys and Secret Harbour
• Negligence, misleading conduct and failure to pay SAT orders
• Mr Salisbury is bankrupt and is no longer a registered builder

A Rockingham former builder has been fined $15,000 after admitting to nine disciplinary allegations involving building projects in East Perth, Hillarys and Secret Harbour.

Building and Energy initiated the allegations against Christopher Ernest Salisbury (BC101297 cancelled; BP101476 expired) under WA’s builder registration laws. The matter concluded with mediation at the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) on 11 January 2023.

According to the agreed facts, Mr Salisbury was negligent while carrying out building services at the three properties because of numerous failures to build to the applicable standards.

The owners of each property lodged workmanship complaints with Building and Energy, which led to SAT orders in 2020 and 2021 for Mr Salisbury to pay more than $95,000 to the East Perth home owners, more than $46,000 to the Hillarys home owners and more than $337,000 to the Secret Harbour home owners.

Mr Salisbury did not pay the SAT orders and became bankrupt in June 2021. The owners subsequently made home indemnity insurance claims up to $100,000. WA’s home indemnity insurance scheme has since expanded to cover up to $200,000 for incomplete or defective works in the event of a builder’s insolvency, death or disappearance.

The facts also show that Mr Salisbury engaged in misleading conduct by naming his company as the relevant builder on the contracts. The business did not hold the required building contractor registration so Mr Salisbury used his personal building contractor registration details on the contracts.

Mr Salisbury is no longer a registered builder after he requested the cancellation of his building contractor registration in August 2021. His building practitioner registration expired in September 2022.

Building and Energy Acting Executive Director Nabil Yazdani said multiple breaches of builder registration laws at three different sites was unacceptable.

“The building issues and subsequent proceedings have no doubt caused enormous stress and financial impacts to the home owners,” he said.

“The community rightly expects registered building service providers to comply with laws and demonstrate high standards of conduct, which are ultimately aimed at ensuring that buildings are safe, compliant and fulfil the requirements of the contract.”

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