By Matthew Sims
Maribyrnong flood victims are advised to be wary of the legitimacy of builders or plumbers as they begin the process or rebuilding or repairing homes damaged during last year’s flood event.
The Victorian Building Authority [VBA] is warning consumers to check if any services are appropriately registered and licensed.
VBA state building surveyor Andrew Cialini said it is common for illegitimate operators to take advantage of flood victims.
“We encourage all Victorians to check whether a practitioner they are hiring is registered and or licensed to carry out the services they are offering,” he said.
“In Victoria, building practitioners must be registered with the VBA to perform certain kinds of work, so do your research and ask for some key information up front, so there are no shocks later on.”
Mr Cialini said it is becoming more common for illegitimate services being advertised through online applications and websites.
“You can check whether the builder or plumber you’re looking to use is registered with the VBA and whether they’ve faced any disciplinary action,” he said.
“We want consumers to be in a position to make informed decisions especially where it may impact their safety and wellbeing.”
VBA regulatory operations executive director David Brockman said unqualified or unlicensed practitioners will not be tolerated.
“We will not hesitate to hold practitioners to account if they don’t follow the correct steps when repairing homes or if they work unregistered or unlicensed,” he said.
“Protecting the Victorian community is our top priority and while most practitioners do the right thing, a small few doing the wrong thing damages community trust in the industry.”
While some work around a property can be done without a registered practioner, if a job requires two or more trade skills, or if you want to undertake any other task that exceeds the $10,000 limit, you must hire a registered practitioner.
Details: vba.vic.gov.au/check
