NSW Fair Trading inspecting residential building sites in Forster?

NSW Fair Trading Building Inspectors are in the middle of a four-day compliance operation on the mid-north coast of NSW, checking tradespeople are appropriately licensed and that work is being done to the appropriate standards. 

So far in Forster they have found a reasonable level of compliance however there are still traders out there that do not hold the appropriate licences for the works they are undertaking.   

Inspectors are visiting up to 50 residential and apartment building sites at and around Forster during the operation. They are focusing on workers on residential building sites, looking for unlicensed workers and ensuring builder and certifier signage is visible to identify the building work with the name and details of the licensee.  They will also check if contractors have the appropriate Home Building Compensation Fund insurance.

Those caught without the required trade licenses for carrying out this work can expect to be fined. 

Increased proactive compliance of specialist building practitioners is one of NSW Fair Trading’s regulatory priorities for 2023, with a focus on certifiers, electricians, engineers, and plumbers. 

Inspectors recently visited 42 sites in the north-east of NSW, including Byron Bay, Ballina and Cudgen, during a similar blitz. Inspectors found sites were largely compliant but issued seven warnings and four fines. The most common issue was sites not displaying the correct signage. 

Quotes to be attributed to NSW Fair Trading Assistant Building Commissioner Matthew Whitton: 

“There has been significant knockdown and rebuild activity in the residential building sector in NSW recently.  

We’ve visited sites in Sydney, Albury, the Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong this year and are taking a proactive approach to ensure building projects are appropriately licensed and complying with the right standards. 

Home Building Compensation insurance is critical to protecting buyers and consumers if work cannot be completed on the project. 

These inspections are part of the Construct NSW transformation strategy to restore confidence in our residential building market.”