Builders get a fines break

By Sarah Schwager
A DISPUTE over builders’ fines earlier this year has resulted in an overhaul of the way in which Casey Council issues the penalties.
On 7 August, the council resolved to temporarily suspend 277 actions in relation to fines issued to builders working in Casey.
The council decided to undertake a review after builders complained that they were being lobbed with thousands of dollars of fines without being given time to fix the problem.
Deputy mayor Kevin Bradford said the issue arose from a possible glitch in the council’s local law in which the builders received a warning notice at the same time a fine was issued.
In many cases the builders were being fined because locals had emptied their bins on a building site or vandals cut holes in the sites’ fences.
Since then a process has been introduced where all 24-hour warnings are phoned through to builders.
A council report showed while the number of warnings had increased by 75 per cent, the administrative effort had significantly reduced.
The council is now issuing about six per cent of the number of fines previously issued.
At last Thursday’s special council meeting, councillors resolved to compile a report from the wider building, environmental and local government industries, including the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria.
The existing suspended fines will not be addressed until the report is compiled.
Cr Bradford said he hoped the issue would be settled once and for all once the report came back next year.