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Fire in Orelia house used to grow cannabis prompts calls for extra vigilance

Gabrielle JefferyWeekend Kwinana Courier

WESTERN Power and Consumer Protection want extra vigilance over the increased danger of fires in cannabis grow-houses.

The call comes after an Orelia rental property caught fire when the power supply was unprofessionally rewired to bypass the mains power.

The discovery of more grow-houses in Perth has prompted a renewed warning from Consumer Protection for Perth landlords to be extra vigilant when selecting tenants for their homes, with Western Power also concerned about power safety.

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About 1.30pm on July 15 the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) firefighters had to extinguish a fire in the roof of the Orelia Avenue property. They later discovered that the meter had been by-passed.

WA Police found three rooms had been turned into an indoor cannabis farm with sophisticated hydroponic growing and lighting systems.

Acting Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Hillyard said crime gangs continued to target vulnerable private landlords who are often left with huge damage and clean-up bills.

“In many cases the rental applicants pose as a couple with a young child and may align themselves to the ethnic background of the landlord so they present as credible tenants,” Mr Hillyard said.

“They trick landlords by providing referees who are other gang members and present fake driver’s licences as identification. One way of checking if these licences are authentic is by doing a demerit point check which may indicate if the licence is fake.

“It is good practice to sight original driver’s licences, rather than copies, for identification purposes, although crime syndicates might hold one legitimate licence and pass it around. If a prospective tenant is reluctant to cooperate with a demerit check, alarm bells should ring.

“Conducting an inspection soon after the tenant moves in with a week’s notice is a good idea, especially if there are some doubts. Another consideration is to subscribe to a tenancy database or engage a professional property manager.

“If landlords have any suspicions that their property is being used for illegal purposes, they should contact Police immediately.”

Head of Safety at Western Power Claire Royston said the by-passing of power poses a great risk of fires and possible electrocution.

“Any modification of the Western Power network that bypasses the meter to access electricity is an offence and we will prosecute anyone who does this for damage or theft of electricity,” Ms Royston said.

“Western Power cooperates fully with police requests during an operation to allow safe access to an investigation area or supply information that assists an investigation.”

Landlords who suspect their property is being used for illegal purposes should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 immediately.

Enquiries about what they can do under tenancy laws, can be made to Consumer Protection by email consumer@dmirs.wa.gov.au or by calling 1300 30 40 54.

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