A building company has been fined $45,000 (and ordered to pay $5000 in costs) over an incident in which a worker fell approximately three metres through a concealed void at a construction site in Safety Bay. Alcove Engineering & Construction Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment for a person who was not their employee, and was fined in the...
Backyard dealer fined $8,000 for no licence and false odometer readings Two deceived buyers to receive $2,500 in compensation Potential buyers urged to be skeptical of vehicles with unusually low kilometres Buying and selling vehicles without a licence and deceiving two buyers about odometer readings have resulted in a Yokine woman being ordered to pay a total of $17,400 in fines, consumer...
WA building sector impacted by worldwide shortages and rising costs Information for consumers facing delays, cost increases and other challenges Resources available at the Building and Energy website (dmirs.wa.gov.au) WA’s building regulator has developed helpful information to assist consumers affected by current challenges in the home building sector, including impacts on project timeframes and...
Welcoming a new pet into your family is an exciting time, so the last thing you’d want to discover after bringing the animal home is any unexpected issues or problems. An emotional bond has likely formed that could make an exchange or refund out of the question, while a ‘repair’ could equate to expensive vet bills and a dispute with the seller. Unfortunately, issues with pet purchases are on the...
Only registered painters can legally carry out paid painting work over $1,000 Consumers are encouraged to check the Register of Painters Building and Energy has received 59 complaints about painting work this financial year Following recent action by Building and Energy, consumers are reminded that painters must be registered to carry out paid painting work valued at $1,000 or more. Painting...
Fire risk from several models of LG home energy storage batteries 450 of the recalled batteries are estimated to have been installed in WA Affected consumers should switch off the battery and contact LG or SolaX WA’s electrical and product safety regulators are alerting consumers about a national recall of some LG-branded home energy storage batteries, which may overheat and ignite. Building...
174 vehicles bought and 147 sold without a licence in about 12 months Backyard operators robbing consumers of their rights Public urged to report illegal operators to stamp out the practice A sole director and his company have been fined a total of $40,000 for illegally buying and selling a high number of motor vehicles from his Stirling home without having a dealer’s licence. Jacob Hamilton was...
When it comes time to move on a car or caravan, some people may lack the time or confidence to negotiate a private sale themselves. Engaging a dealer to sell the vehicle on their behalf can therefore be a viable option, but selling on consignment does come with some risk. Given the dealer can keep any money they receive from the sale in excess of the amount they agree to pay the owner, this has...
Action threatened against those who don’t comply with fitness industry rules Most issues relate to membership cancellations and refunds 37 complaints and 111 enquiries received so far this year Consumer Protection will be cracking down on some fitness industry operators that are failing to comply with the new Code of Practice that came into effect on 1 July last year. Of most concern are issues...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today it is likely motorists will have to wait for two weeks before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 18 May 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 28 cents per...
Electrical tests carried out by assembly line staff, not licensed electricians Public at risk if electrical equipment is supplied without expert testing Company pleaded guilty and has changed its testing practices Following the prosecution of a Perth air-conditioning company, Building and Energy is warning WA manufacturers that testing of electrical equipment above a certain voltage must only be...
Fake websites selling shipping containers ripping off WA consumers Almost $55,000 lost by scam victims in the past four months Others caught by a bogus container leasing investment scheme WA consumers in the market for shipping containers are being scammed by fake websites with losses for 2022 already exceeding the total for the entire year of 2021. Eight victims have reported to WA ScamNet at...
A new 2021 edition of AS/NZS 1170.2 Structural design actions - Wind actions has been included for adoption in the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC). The new edition of AS/NZS 1170.2 has many improvements, however it also includes a reduction in design wind speeds for wind Region D.
Wind region D map, by sgrove
Wind Region D is unique to Western Australia. It is a 50km...
The floodwaters may have subsided in Eastern Australia, but consumers in Western Australia are being warned to brace for the tsunami of flood-damaged cars headed our way. With as many as 20,000 vehicles damaged in the Queensland and northern New South Wales’ flood events earlier this year, there are fears many of these compromised vehicles will be transported across to WA and sold to unsuspecting...
Notices of completion not provided for gasfitting work at five Perth properties Notices are compulsory for safety, compliance and inspections Mr Mohammadiah was convicted of the same offence in 2012 A Rivervale licensed gas fitter has been fined $3,000 and ordered to pay $500 in costs for not lodging compulsory notices with WA’s energy safety regulator – 10 years after being convicted for the...
Perth tradeswoman contracted for home renovation and painting work without the required registrations Deposits over the legal limit of 6.5 per cent were taken from the home owners Mandatory contract notices were not given to home owners A Perth tradeswoman has been fined a total of $7,400 after pleading guilty to seven offences including contracting for building and painting work without the...
Roof of a two-storey Alkimos home detached during a storm in Easter 2019 Inadequate systems and procedures led to insufficient roof tie-down connections $15,000 fine for company and reprimand for Mr Trager following SAT mediation The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) has fined Perth builder Ben Trager Homes Pty Ltd $15,000 and reprimanded its nominated supervisor Ben Trager for not properly...
The Building and Construction Industry (Security of Payment) Act 2021 (WA) (the “new Act”) will introduce better payment protections for all participants in the Western Australian building and construction industry. It is one of the most significant legislative changes for the local industry since the 2004 introduction of the Construction Contracts Act 2004 (the “CCA”). In line with the State...
Drainage plumbing inspections. Drainage plumbing inspections are completed while the work is under construction. Most drainage inspections will arise from notifications made by, or on behalf of, the licensed plumbing contractor responsible for the work. To enable drainage plumbing work to be inspected while it is under construction, licensed plumbing contractors are required to notify the...
Mother’s Day is on its way, so no matter whether you’re looking for a gift online or in-store, remember that you have the same consumer rights if things go wrong. The Australian Consumer Law protects you if the gift is faulty, breaks down, doesn’t work as it should or is not what you ordered, and the trader should take steps to help fix the issue. However, refunds aren’t always an automatic right...
Landlord failed to lodge seven bonds with the Bonds Administrator $1,000 fine after Consumer Protection takes prosecution action Laws designed to keep tenants’ funds safe and secure A Mt Magnet landlord has been fined $1,000 and ordered to pay costs of $1,184.50 by the Perth Magistrates Court after being convicted of failing to lodge tenancy bonds with the Bond Administrator. Ian Black , who is a...
Email communications between home buyer and settlement agent hacked Request for payment with false bank account details sent to buyer Loss brings 2022 total for payment redirection scams to more than a million dollars A WA woman has reported to Consumer Protection losing about $732,000 after scammers intercepted email communications between her and her settlement agent in relation to the purchase...
North Coogee home renovation work carried out without the required registration 50 per cent deposit taken when only 6.5 per cent was allowed Consumers urged to avoid big deposits and check the builder is registered Building and Energy is encouraging consumers to check their builder is registered and to be aware of rules about deposits for home building work, following the regulator’s prosecution...
Motorists in Perth and Mandurah are advised to fill up now if they need to, with petrol prices set to rise tomorrow. After today it is likely motorists will have to wait for two weeks before petrol prices are again at the bottom of the price cycle. FuelWatch reports that, from 6am tomorrow (Wednesday 4 May 2022), the average price of regular unleaded petrol (ULP) will increase by 26 cents per...
The Western Australia Day public holiday is on Monday 6 June 2022. The Western Australia Day 2022 public holiday page contains information on employment entitlements for: Award free employers and employees; Shop and Warehouse (Wholesale and Retail Establishments) Award; Restaurant, Tearoom and Catering Workers Award; and Hairdressers Award . For information on other WA awards, check the WA award...
