Victoria's building regulator has used its immediate suspension powers to remove a builder from practice when satisfied by an investigation that him continuing to work posed a significant risk to the public.
Neville Duncanson (DB-U 43680 / CB-L 43674), sole director of Amville Constructions Pty Ltd, has been suspended by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) pending a show cause process, for allegedly carrying out unsafe and unfenced excavation works at two sites as well as a series of other building code breaches.
The VBA's Director of Compliance and Enforcement, David Brockman said that the regulator took this action to protect Victorians.
"We will not allow practitioners to flout the laws and put Victorians in harm's way. If you cannot show you are acting safely you will not be allowed to practise," he said.
"While most builders do the right thing, cases like this bring the whole industry into disrepute."
Other issues raised in this investigation include the need, for domestic building works, to ensure the adequacy of the plans and specifications prior to contract, to ensure that insurance is in place before either commencing work or taking money, to claim only the money that the contract allows and, most significantly, to ensure that the site and the work of staff and subcontractors are properly supervised.
Mr Brockman said taking shortcuts with insurance leaves customers exposed.
Under the Building Act 1993, the VBA can immediately suspend a practitioner if it considers it to be in the public interest, while it works through the formal disciplinary action process.
Immediate suspension of builders, which came into effect in 2018, is used for the most serious matters, such as building work which puts people's health and safety at risk, or which poses a serious risk to property, and repeated disciplinary breaches.
Mr Duncanson can appeal his immediate suspension at the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal.
Mr Duncanson's registrations had already been partially suspended in May 2021 for breaching a dispute resolution order issued by Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria.
Victorians wanting to check if their builder or plumber is registered visit vba.vic.gov.au/find.
