Building sites in the Cities of Darebin, Hume, Moreland and Whittlesea are the subject of a multi-regulator compliance blitz this week as part of the Build Aware campaign to increase builder awareness of environment, safety and building regulations.
The week-long event involves site inspections by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA), WorkSafe Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), Energy Safe Victoria (ESV) and Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA).
The inspections are part of the Build Aware initiative, created by the five regulators to demonstrate the importance of complying with building, construction, environment, consumer rights and OH&S laws and regulations, in the construction and demolition sector.
The agencies are conducting up to 150 single and joint inspections at building sites across the region.
VBA Director of Enquiries, Inspections and Complaints Peter Cairnes said multi-disciplinary teams from the five agencies will be at construction and demolition sites this week, providing advice to builders to ensure they understand their legal responsibilities.
“VBA inspectors will also assist builders and owner-builders in fire safety regulations for new builds and retrofits of existing dwellings,” Mr Cairnes said.
EPA Metro Region Manager Daniel Hunt said EPA is focusing on the management of construction and demolition waste, including asbestos, an area where there’s a lot at stake for the environment.
“Construction and demolition generates industrial waste, typically including concrete, timber, brick, asbestos-containing material, and soil that may be contaminated,” he said.
“Disposing of construction and demolition waste properly means some of it can be recycled. But wrongly identified or illegally dumped waste pollutes the environment and pose a public health risk. EPA officers will be ensuring that sites are identifying and managing wastes at building sites appropriately
WorkSafe Construction Manager Dermot Moody said inspectors will be ensuring that builders make the health and safety of everyone on each site a priority.
“We will be paying particular attention to the risks associated with falls and falls from height. which are an ever present concern, particularly in the housing construction industry,” he said.
“Our inspectors will be checking to see that safe systems of work are in place on each site and that these are being actively monitored in order to prevent injuries.
“The nature of construction work means that building sites are constantly changing, and so the hazards and risks on site must be managed on a day to day basis.”
Inspectors from Consumer Affairs Victoria will be looking closely at Domestic Building Contracts to ensure that important consumer protections are being adhered to by builders.
“The Build Aware program is a perfect opportunity for regulators to collaborate,” said Consumer Affairs Victoria Director Regulatory Services, David Joyner. "The event allows us to increase awareness of important Victorian laws that protect owners, builders and the community."
A social media campaign to alert the community to the Build Aware program has also begun.
For further information on Build Aware, visit consumer.vic.gov.au/buildaware