Contractors issued with demerit points for breaches of legislation increased in 2020/21, with Queensland’s building industry watchdog issuing demerit points to almost 600 contractors.

This was a 15 per cent increase on the previous year, with 596 Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licensees issued 4696 demerit points in 2020/21.

QBCC Commissioner Brett Bassett said a combination of a review and implementation of new processes attributed to the demerit points increase and a crackdown on licensees who failed to rectify defects.

“We were able to take action quicker against those licensees not doing the right thing, and in turn, demerit points increased because we had a greater presence in the industry,” he said.

“The demerit point system is designed to encourage change. They are recorded on the public register to serve as a warning to homeowners, subcontractors and suppliers and to encourage licensees to comply with their legislative obligations.”

Demerit points ranged from contractual offences, failure to rectify defects, carrying out work without a nominee and failing to pay insurance premiums.

He said the threat of demerit points should be a deterrent for contractors who didn’t abide by the legislation.

A person who accumulates 30 demerit points within a three-year period will face disqualification from holding a QBCC licence for three years.

In October 2020, demerit point allocation and disqualification procedures were also introduced for certifier licences.

Queensland’s building industry watchdog has issued a public warning about Brisbane man Miroslav Bolfan in relation to building-related offences that include unlicensed and noncompliant electrical and plumbing work.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) has issued the warning against Mr Bolfan and related business names that include MBN Australia, MBN, MBN Australia Bathroom Renovations and Tiling and MBN Cars.

Mr Bolfan has illegally used several different QBCC licence numbers, an expired licence number, and posed as two current QBCC licence holders by using their licence numbers.

The QBCC urges consumers, contractors and suppliers to be cautious in their dealings with Mr Bolfan and his businesses, and to exercise extreme caution and seek legal advice before making any payments, to protect their interests.

QBCC Commissioner, Brett Bassett, said that Mr Bolfan’s work was unlicensed and noncompliant, and posed a threat to public safety. “To help safeguard home owners, electrical and plumbing work must only ever be carried out by licensed individuals, which Mr Bolfan is not,” Mr Bassett said.

The QBCC is aware of several complaints about unlawful conduct by Mr Bolfan, and is concerned that he continues to carry out or undertake to carry out unlawful building work.

“We are also concerned that he continues to unlawfully advertise, pretends to be a licensee, fails to provide a compliant contract and takes excess deposits,” Mr Bassett said.

Mr Bolfan is believed to have performed work in Brisbane suburbs that include Bardon and Riverhills.

The QBCC strongly encourages consumers to only ever use appropriately licensed individuals, regardless of the size of a project,

The free licence check on the QBCC website will confirm if a person is licensed appropriately, and if necessary, consumers should ask for proof of a person’s identity.

The QBCC website also offers a free Find a Local Contractor search that allows consumers to find licensed, skilled tradespersons in their local area.

BACKGROUND

This warning is issued by the QBCC Commissioner to the public under section 20J(1)(i) of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991.

Queensland’s building watchdog has issued a Public Warning about Jacob Moratti, an unlicensed concreter operating in Brisbane, Ipswich and the Gold Coast.

The QBCC is urging consumers, contractors and suppliers to be cautious in their dealings with Mr Moratti and his businesses, which include Italia Concrete Services QLD, Jake Moratti Concreting, Jake Moratti and Romacrete.

Mr Moratti does not hold a QBCC licence and is not able to carry out, advertise for, or enter into contracts to carry out, building work in Queensland valued at more than $3,300.

He is also alleged to have taken deposits that exceed the maximum allowed under the QBCC Act and has either failed to complete work, or failed to commence work.

The QBCC believes Mr Moratti has either undertaken to perform work, or has performed work in Mt Gravatt, Tingalpa, Goodna, Spring Mountain and Oxenford.

The QBCC is aware that complaints have also been made about Mr Moratti to the Office of Fair Trading.

The QBCC warns anyone dealing with Mr Moratti and his businesses to exercise extreme caution and to seek legal advice before making any payments, to protect their interests. The QBCC strongly encourages consumers to always use the free licence check on the QBCC website to confirm that the person they are dealing with is appropriately licensed.

The QBCC website also offers a free Find a Local Contractor search, that allows consumers to find licensed, skilled, local tradespersons.

BACKGROUND

This Public Warning is issued by the Commissioner of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) under section 20J(1)(i) of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991.

Queensland’s building watchdog has issued a Public Warning about a Brisbane man for performing work outside his licence class, taking excessive deposits from home owners and failing to rectify defective work.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is urging consumers, contractors and suppliers to be cautious in their dealings with Matthew Todd Cooley and his businesses Renovations Brisbane Pty Ltd and Cooley M Services Pty Ltd, trading as Hire a Hubby Ascot (Qld).

The QBCC is aware of several complaints relating to Mr Cooley and his associated businesses, and warns anyone dealing with him and his businesses to exercise extreme caution, and to seek legal advice before making any payments, to protect their interests.

QBCC Commissioner, Brett Bassett, said the alleged offending had occurred in suburbs that included Balmoral, Norman Park, Hawthorne, Bulimba, Clayfield and Nundah.

He said complaints about building work by Mr Cooley and his businesses can be made by phoning the QBCC on 139 333.

“The QBCC strongly encourages consumers to always use the free licence check on the QBCC website to confirm that the person they are dealing with is appropriately licensed,” Mr Bassett said.

The QBCC website also offers a free Find a Local Contractor search, that allows consumers to find licensed, skilled, local tradespersons.

Mr Cooley is alleged to have undertaken building work outside of his QBCC licence class, taken deposits in excess of the maximum allowed under the QBCC Act and failed to comply with a QBCC-issued direction to rectify defective building work.

BACKGROUND

This Public Warning is issued by the Commissioner of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) under section 20J(1)(i) of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act 1991.