Victoria cracks down on illegal builders
Victorians have been urged to blow the whistle on illegal builders as complaints spike throughout the state.
Victorians can now anonymously turn in unregistered builders and plumbers who work without qualifications, insurance, or compliance through a new dob-in form.
Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, said the Allan Labor government and Victorian Building Authority (VBA) are cracking down on unregistered builders and plumbers as they pose a risk to everyday Victorians.
“They cut corners, put safety at risk, and leave Victorians out of pocket when things go wrong,” Kilkenny said.
Statewide, VBA reported that one in 10 complaints received involved unregistered workers who targeted unsuspecting Victorians via digital platforms, such as Airtasker, Hipages, and Facebook Marketplace.
The Allan Labor government has warned Victorians of the risks of unsafe installations, costly repairs, and a lack of legal recourse and insurance when using unregistered builders and things go wrong.
VBA commissioner and chief executive officer, Anna Cronin, said that in case of an issue, going to court was the “only” option.
“Victorians need to be aware of the risks they take in hiring those without the proper registration or licence; if something goes wrong, their only option is court,” Cronin said.
The state has reminded Victorians to hire practitioners who can prove their registration or licensing.
A recent blitz inspection by the regulator revealed that since mid-October, 33 unregistered workers were operating on over 1,100 building sites, along with five employers facilitating illegal work.
These inspections were part of an ongoing statewide investigation following public tip-offs, VBA intelligence, and data analytics.
Master Builders CEO, Michaela Lihou, said she is welcoming the VBA’s statewide crackdown.
“Our members have worked hard to earn their registration and our industry and consumers both deserve to be protected from the efforts of dodgy builders who seem to think they can get away with doing the wrong thing,” Lihou said.
Victorians can turn in illegal operators anonymously through the VBA’s online dob-in form: Report Unregistered Building and Unlicensed Plumbing Work.
The crackdown comes in as the Allan Labor government announced an overhaul of the VBA, replacing the regulator with a new watchdog, the Building & Plumbing Commission.
As part of a $63.3 million investment, the new watchdog will look over all aspects of building quality control in a single agency and will have more regulation powers to protect Victorian families and their homes. The new regulator will also have more staff on the ground with a 50 per cent increase in building auditors and frontline inspectors.