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Victorian builder sunk by $55k fine over pool installation failures
A builder in Victoria’s east has been fined $55,000 and suspended for nearly a year following a string of incompetent behaviour during pool installations at four properties.
A pool installer in Victoria’s Gippsland region has been fined and suspended after failing to abide by professional standards across multiple residential sites
Rodney Centra, from Sale, has been suspended for 11 months and ordered to pay $55,000 following his conduct at sites in Stratford, Lindenow South, Fernbank and Nambrok, between 2021 and 2024.
According to the Victoria’s Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC), Centra showed a “pattern of incompetence through failings in his fundamental statutory and professional obligations across multiple sites”.
The watchdog found that Centra, 48, was negligent, having failed to prevent a Lindenow South pool from being installed and filled with water when there was no pool barrier in place.
Similarly, at the Fernbank property, Centra failed to prevent a pool from being installed and filled with water when the barrier was incomplete and non-compliant.
Other BPC disciplinary grounds included his failure to ensure the Relevant Building Surveyor (RBS) was notified at the required mandatory notification stages during the builds.
Mandatory notification stages are legally required under Victoria’s Building Act to ensure construction work is signed off as safe and compliant.
Centra’s failure to notify the RBS meant the surveyor was unable to inspect the site and ensure compliance.
In light of the incidents, the BPC reminded landowners that it was a legal requirement to register any pool or spa on their property with the relevant council.
There must also be a compliant safety barrier in place, regardless of whether children live at the property.
According to the BPC, Centra’s 11-month suspension only applies to his domestic building registration, not his commercial or low-rise demolisher registrations.
The suspension comes into effect later this month, and Centra has the right to appeal the BPC’s decision.
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