Posts By: Phil

VBA Staffers Charged by Corruption Watchdog

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Two building watchdog employees have been charged and a third remains under investigation over accusations they took bribes to register builders.

The Victorian Building Authority confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the trio had been stood down as a probe by corruption investigators continues.

“Today Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission [IBAC] notified us they have charged two employees with criminal offences and are investigating a third,” VBA chief executive Anna Cronin said.

“The employees involved have been stood down by the Victorian Building Authority with immediate effect.”

Cronin said the authority had referred suspicious activity to IBAC in June last year, adding that the authority had been “supporting them with their investigation ever since”.

“The VBA is now reviewing any impacts of this alleged activity to ensure the integrity of our systems. We will not be commenting any further while the IBAC investigation and court processes are ongoing.”

In a statement, IBAC confirmed it had executed search warrants at various premises on Wednesday as part of Operation Perseus.

“Following this activity, two Victorian Building Authority employees have been charged with criminal offences relating to the assessment of builder registrations, in exchange for a financial benefit,” the commission said.

“These actions against key persons of interest are a result of IBAC’s Operation Perseus – an investigation into allegations of corrupt conduct at the VBA related to the assessment of builder registrations, in exchange for a financial benefit.”

The raids came just months after the board of the state building regulator was removed by the Allan government and Cronin was installed as the sole commissioner.

The new structure, announced in March, set up advisory committees made up of building and plumbing experts.

The authority has been under scrutiny since the 2022 suicide of building inspector Rob Karkut, whose death led to two independent inquiries into the regulator’s toxic workplace.

The Age revealed the authority was warned it may have broken the law by using unqualified staff as part of an investigation into Karkut’s death.

A lengthy investigation by The Age and 60 Minutes about inspectors completing visual audits rather than physically attending construction sites led to the resignation of former chief Sue Eddy.

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• Corruption
• Melbourne
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Massive fire in apartment building in Valencia, Spain. (flamable Cladding)

Sadly they are expecting 18 deaths from this fire which is detailed in the link below. (It’s now confirmed 10 persons have died)

Firefighters rescue trapped people from fire in Valencia building
Crews have been unable to enter the building in Valencia since the devastating blaze broke out just before 5.30pm yesterday and tore through cladding.
www.dailymail.co.uk

Darwin Builder Meeting

The builders meeting held on the 11th July attracted both builders and consumers, and was successful considering the blanket advertising blitz undertaken by the Master Builders.

Whichever way the Fidelity fund is presented nothing alters the fact that it is a LAST RESORT product with a narrow claims criteria of only four triggers that will not deliver to our clients/consumers a responsible consumer protection regime.

Remember builders pay for every cent of compliance and consumer protection and we want a say in what is provided.

We want a regime that will protect our consumers, manage our industry, and deliver the intended benefit and not embarrass our Government and our industry.

Government have a responsibility to us to deliver an appropriate regime on our behalf and not abrogate their responsibility to the expensive secretive private sector last resort scheme that will not deliver as “CHOICE” has stated in the past, and are now currently reviewing at our request.

The State of the Nation

Every State except Tasmania is undertaking a review of their consumer protection-warranty insurance regimes because of the constant critisism from consumers and the legitimate building industry associations however the one association being the Housing Industry Association (HIA) that has enjoyed the ear of Governments over the past decade considers the Last Resort Warranty Insurance concept they introduced back in 2002 that still manages our industry is appropriate today. HIA also enjoy the support of MBA Victoria.

(more…)

Conflict and anger

“Conflict and anger”

Describes the warranty insurance regime in the states where Last Resort insurance exists and is inflicted on both the consumer and builder when a dispute arises.

The Baillieu, O’Farrell, and Barnett Governments all know the issues as they have conveyed them to their parliaments on behalf of builders and consumers over their years in opposition. (more…)

The Age

Builders Warranty Insurance — the great “scam”

These stories were on the front page of the AGE newspaper and one would hope they will prick the conscience of the Baillieu Government as this matter is now well beyond a joke and hurting Victorians in the extreme.

There is more to life than money and this insurance can be dropped with a stroke of a pen by your Government right now! (more…)

Today Tonight

Today tonight presents a Consumer’s home as their biggest financial investment of a lifetime and asks is their new home protected by any warranty at all?

The answer is “No” (more…)

Government and insurers face class action over dodgy warranty scheme

EXCLUSIVE: HUNDREDS of small family owned Australian builders are facing extinction because of Builders Warranty Insurance, according to a survey of over 1000 builders by PropertyReview.com.au conducted over the past month.

Builders in both Victoria and NSW are facing the increasing dilemma of not being able to get warranty insurance because thousands don’t meet new exacting insurance companies criteria. Insurance companies take none of the risk on warranty insurance and in fact are ‘illegally’ making builders sign indemnities where they personally face the total risk of the worthless insurance. (more…)