NSW Fair Trading, alongside Australian Border Force (ABF), has completed a highly coordinated and unannounced one-day operation targeting illegal practices on residential building projects.
Several groups, made up of officers from both agencies, visited 26 North-West Sydney construction sites as part of ‘Operation Hammer’. The locations were covertly scouted ahead of time in Schofields, Box Hill, Grantham Farm and Kellyville Ridge.
Fair Trading’s Proactive Investigations Team checked contractors were licenced and supervising workers correctly. It is unlawful to contract to do residential building work without being appropriately licensed and proper supervision provided.
ABF officers collaborated with Fair Trading as part of its ongoing investigation of unlawful non-citizens working in the NSW home building industry.
Fair Trading spoke to 48 people and identified nine unlicensed contractors, issuing each an on-the-spot fine of $2,200 per infringement.
Further investigations will now begin into the building companies these unlicensed contractors were working with to determine if these companies are fit to be licensed.
The crackdown is in response to industry stakeholders who have raised concerns about an increase in unskilled workers in the NSW home building industry who are not licensed to contract work or are not supervised by accredited contractors.
Using unlicensed and unsupervised contractors is likely to lead to onsite safety concerns, poor build quality and defective buildings.
Fair Trading is proactively working to restore public confidence in the NSW building industry beginning with early intervention in the construction stage, identifying risks and defects to be fixed long before residents move in.
A tradesperson must be licensed to contract to do residential building work valued at more than $5,000, including the cost of labour and material, and to do all specialist work, regardless of cost, including plumbing, electrical wiring, and air conditioning work.
Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said:
“Operation Hammer is a warning to companies to stop employing unskilled and unlicensed contractors.
“We know there’s a strong correlation between builders breaking immigration law and those who don’t deliver quality to their customers.
“Tolerance for poor quality buildings and cutting corners for residents has worn out in NSW.
“This action is tough but necessary to stop unlawful practices impacting the NSW building industry.
“This operation helps protect NSW residents from moving into poor quality and potentially defective homes.”
Fair Trading Commissioner Natasha Mann said:
“Our officers, with the support of Border Force, executed this operation efficiently and professionally.
“The nine unlicensed workers are now off NSW building sites and the companies employing them will be investigated.
“Fair Trading is raising expectations about building quality. It is time the industry caught up.”
