A Healesville plumber has been penalised more than $5000 for defective work on a suburban property near Frankston and faces a 12-month suspension unless he rectifies the work within 60 days.
Practitioner Timothy Da Fonte (licence number 52674), faced a Victorian Building Authority (VBA) Plumbing Inquiry Panel, which found he carried out non-compliant roofing work.
Mr Da Fonte had also failed to comply with a rectification notice issued by the VBA to fix the work and was penalised $5011.50 including legal costs.
The Inquiry found that in March 2019, Mr Da Fonte carried out work in Langwarrin, 42km south-east of Melbourne, near Frankston.
The VBA’s Executive Director of Regulatory Operations, David Brockman, said that by certifying non compliant work, Mr Da Fonte’s conduct had the potential to damage consumer confidence in plumbers.
“We know that the majority of plumbers uphold a high standard of workmanship and work hard to build trust with the community, so when practitioners break that trust it reflects poorly on the industry at large,” he said.
“Plumbers need to understand the importance of upholding a standard of quality, to ensure the safety of consumers.”
Mr Da Fonte failed to secure pierced roof coverings and failed to provide minimum cover required under flashings.
The roofing could have resulted in the property being damaged by water in the event of a storm.
He has been issued a 12-month suspension, which was suspended on the grounds that he carry out rectification work within 60 days.
The VBA’s inspectors have noted that the roofing has still yet to be corrected.
Mr Da Fonte can apply to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for review of the decision.
The VBA has an online consumer resource portal with information for anyone who experiences issues with builders or plumbers.
