AN East Victoria Park building surveyor contractor has been fined $7500 by the State Administrative Tribunal for certifying plans of a non-compliant swimming pool barrier in an Iluka home.
Western Australia Building Certifiers and Assessors Pty Ltd (WABCA) was fined $3500 and its sole director Phillip Greenwood was fined $4000 for breaches of Building Services (Registration) Act 2011.
Mr Greenwood was found to have engaged in misleading conduct and failed to properly manage and supervise a building service when he signed a certificate of design compliance including a set of doors to open directly into an outdoor pool area in 2016.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWThe doors were not approved by the permit authority City of Joondalup and was found to be installed in a 2017 inspection.
The tribunal found WABCA had inadequate systems to ensure proper management and supervision of the building surveying work.
Building commissioner Ken Bowron said anyone participating in a regulated industry was responsible for understanding and complying with relevant laws.
“This case reinforces the obligations of registered certifiers when signing off on compliance, particularly when this authorisation potentially impacts on community safety,” he said.
“The strict compliance rules for pool barriers reflect their essential role in preventing drowning tragedies, particularly for young children.”