Knockdown rebuilds under scrutiny in watchdog blitz

They revealed that inspectors plan to visit up to 45 residential building sites across Tamworth, Armidale and Gunnedah, with the operation focused on workers on knockdown and rebuild projects.

According to Fair Trading, inspectors will be looking for unlicensed contracting work and setting out to ensure builder signage is visible which properly outlines the building work and details of the licensee.

Inspectors will also be checking to see if contractors have the appropriate Home Building Compensation Fund insurance.

According to NSW Fair Trading, anyone caught without the required trade licences for carrying out this work can expect to be fined.

The consumer regulator explained that increased proactive compliance of specialist building practitioners is a regulatory priority for the state-based body in 2023, with a focus on certifiers, electricians, engineers and plumbers.

The latest blitz follows the visit of 42 sites in the north-east of NSW, including Byron Bay, Ballina and Cudgen by inspectors.

While Fair Trading inspectors found sites were largely compliant, a total of seven warnings and four fines were still issued, with the most common concern relating to sites not displaying the correct signage.

Assistant building commissioner, Matthew Whitton, acknowledged that there’s been “significant knockdown and rebuild activity in the residential building sector in NSW recently”.

“We’ve visited sites in Sydney, Albury, the Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong this year.”

He said Fair Trading is taking “a proactive approach to ensure building projects are appropriately licensed and complying with the right standards”.

From his position: “Home Building Compensation insurance is critical to protecting buyers and consumers if work cannot be completed on the project.”

“These inspections are part of the Construct NSW transformation strategy to restore confidence in our residential building market,” he added.