The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has penalised two plumbers thousands of dollars for various breaches, including some which led to water leaks.
Zachary Bell (accreditation number 100167) faced a VBA disciplinary inquiry, following a complaint from a homeowner that he had carried out defective plumbing work at a property in Footscray which had caused persistent water leaks.
The Inquiry also found he failed to lodge a compliance certificate within five days of plumbing work being carried out and then later lodging a compliance certificate which had incorrect information.
Mr Bell was penalised a total of $7503.60.
In a separate matter, Luke Spierings (accreditation number 46639) was found by the Inquiry to have carried out non-compliant plumbing work at a property in Beaumaris.
Mr Spierings also lodged a compliance certificate containing a misstatement of fact and failed to provide the water authority with an accurate plan of the sanitary drain.
He was penalised a total of $5,686.20 but told the Inquiry that he has since improved his work practices.
The VBA’s Executive Director Regulatory Operations David Brockman said plumbers must follow the correct processes when undertaking work or they would face enforcement by the regulator.
“These are two key examples where plumbers failed to follow the proper process and they have faced penalties as a result,” Mr Brockman said.
“In both cases the Inquiry found that while both practitioners have since made improvements to their operations, their actions at the time had been detrimental to their customers.
“Most plumbers do the right thing, but these cases show that failure to follow the rules will not be tolerated.”
Mr Bell and Mr Spierings can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for reviews of the respective decisions.
The VBA has an online consumer resource portal with information for anyone who experiences issues with builders or plumbers.
Victorians can visit vba.vic.gov.au/check to make sure their builder or plumber is registered or licensed.
