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Second strike: Builder penalised again for dodgy construction
A Queensland builder has been slapped with a second fine after being caught again for unlicensed and substandard building work.
A man has pleaded guilty to nine charges over illegal building-related work carried out at five Brisbane properties over a 15-month period.
Cameron James Bedford was convicted and fined $15,000 in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 12 December for the work conducted in 2021 and 2022.
The charges against Bedford related to unlicensed building work, taking excess deposits, and failing to have a contract in place before work began.
The work performed or quoted included painting, concreting, and kitchen and bathroom renovations.
In addition to the fine, he was also ordered to pay compensation to four home owners totalling more than $20,000.
In a separate prosecution, a fifth owner was awarded $32,830 in compensation.
At four of the five properties, work occurred after owners contacted Bedford following seeing his advertisements for building work on Facebook Marketplace.
Each owner was left with defective or incomplete work requiring rectification or completion after paying Bedford amounts totalling $126,880.
According to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC), Bedford had never held a QBCC licence and had a history of committing similar offences, with fines issued as early as 2016.
He was previously sentenced in the Brisbane District Court on 29 August 2025 for an indictable offence of fraud, relating to his contracting with a home owner to carry out building work.
He was sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment, with immediate parole, and was ordered to pay compensation of $32,830 to the owner, with 12 months to pay and nine months imprisonment in default.
QBCC CEO and commissioner Angelo Lambrinos said that, regardless of referrals from friends and online reviews, home owners should always check whether an individual is licensed.
He added that owners should check compliance history, understand the allowable maximum deposits, and ensure a written, dated, and signed contract is in place before work begins.
He also said the commission was committed to a fair and transparent approach to compliance, but wouldn’t hesitate to take action when needed.
“This is clearly an example of someone repeatedly and knowingly doing the wrong thing, and I do not apologise for taking this action,” he concluded.