Building and Plumbing Commission

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) is the new regulator for Victoria’s building and plumbing industries. Our Commissioner and CEO Anna Cronin has this message to share on our first day of operations.

The Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) is your single front door to Victoria’s building system – bringing regulation, dispute resolution and insurance under one roof. And with new powers on the way, we’ll be able to do more to protect consumers. Swipe through to see what’s changing. 📞 1300 067 088 🌐 bpc.vic.gov.au

The arrival of the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) marks the beginning of a new era of stronger building regulation in Victoria. The BPC is a single entry point to the state’s building system for consumers and industry. Call our Consumer and Practitioner Service Centre on 1300 067 088, Monday to Friday between 8:30am and 5:00pm. Learn more at www.bpc.vic.gov.au

Congratulations to Apprentice of the Year Hannah Dillimore and all other nominees and winners at this year’s @masterbuildersvic State Apprentice of the Year Awards! 🏆 👏 BPC Head of Building Paul Bailey presented the Future Builder Award to third-year Carpentry apprentice Daniel Helmi. The BPC is a proud sponsor of this event recognising emerging talents who will shape the future of our industry. Thank you to the organisers, judges and participants for contributing to a successful night.

Building or renovating and things go wrong? Home Warranty has you covered. From 1 July, builders must purchase this insurance from the BPC on behalf of Victorian homeowners. Home Warranty is mandatory for all domestic building projects that are: • up to 3 storeys, and • valued at more than $20,000. The new scheme replaces Domestic Building Insurance (DBI). DBI only covers homeowners for incomplete, defective or non-compliant building work if a builder dies, disappears or goes insolvent. Under Home Warranty, homeowners will be covered up to $400,000 if a builder is either unable or unwilling to complete or fix the work. DBI policies taken out before 1 July will remain valid for the life of the policy. More information via link in bio 🔗

The BPC is proud to sponsor @masterbuildersvic 2026 State Apprentice of the Year Awards. Tomorrow’s awards recognise the work, dedication and skill of outstanding apprentices who are helping shape the future of the industry in Victoria. Best of luck to all nominees 🏆

The BPC has fined Energent Pty Ltd $10,000 over defective building work which caused water damage to a home in Springvale. A BPC building assessor found the waterproofing membrane in the home’s main upstairs shower had not been installed correctly, causing the shower to leak. The leak caused damage to other rooms in the home, including swelling architraves and plastering, carpet stains and mould growth. The company is appealing the fine to VCAT. -- Disclaimer: Other individuals or businesses may have similar names to those subject to disciplinary or legal action. You can check a practitioner’s licence, registration or disciplinary and prosecution history at the BPC website.

The BPC has suspended Gippsland builder Rodney Centra for 11 months over 4 backyard pools that were filled with water without any suitable safety barriers in place. Centra has also been fined $55,000 for his conduct at sites across Gippsland – in Stratford, Lindenow South, Fernbank and Nambrok. At the Lindenow South and Fernbank sites, Centra either permitted or failed to prevent the pools being installed and filled with water without a compliant barrier in place. He also failed to notify the Relevant Building Surveyor at the required mandatory stages during construction to allow inspection of the work. Pools must have a compliant safety barrier in place at all times to prevent drowning – regardless of whether children live at the property. The landowner must also register the pool or spa with the council. Centra’s commercial and low-rise demolisher building registrations are not affected by this suspension, which is due to come into effect later this month. Centra has the right to appeal the decision. -- Disclaimer: Other individuals or businesses may have similar names to those subject to disciplinary or legal action. You can check a practitioner’s licence, registration or disciplinary and prosecution history at the BPC website.

The BPC has successfully prosecuted Dean Luke Johnstone, of East Gippsland Home Projects, over an illegal and botched renovation on a Bairnsdale home. Johnstone was convicted and fined more than $32,000 including costs for carrying out domestic building work without the required registration and without domestic building insurance. Johnstone quoted more than $84,000 to repair water damage, which included replacing windows. He then asked for a 50% deposit to enable the work to start, with the maximum allowed only 5%. The work was so poor the client, a single mum, had to pay another builder more than $11,000 to have it rectified. The Magistrate said the offences – in particular the lack of insurance – ‘cannot be understated and must be met with consequences and deterrence’. Consumers should always use a registered builder for jobs over $10,000. You can check a builder’s registration, along with any disciplinary or prosecution history, at the BPC website. -- Disclaimer: Other individuals or businesses may have similar names to those subject to disciplinary or legal action.

A single building project may have multiple building permits to cover different stages of construction. Our updated guidance urges practitioners to approach staged building permits holistically to avoid compliance gaps and other risks. • Plan ahead – don’t use staged permits in an ad hoc or reactive way • Establish as early as possible in the project whether staged permits will be used • Consider compliance across the whole project when preparing documentation for each permit stage Updated practice note available via link in bio 🔗

Today 1 May is the day Victoria officially adopts the National Construction Code 2025. This means all building and plumbing practitioners must comply with the Victorian variations of the new building code – including new lead-free plumbing product requirements. Find more info including practitioner guidance at the BPC website or via link in bio. #NationalConstructionCode #ConstructionAustralia

NCC 2025 comes into effect in Victoria this Friday 1 May. Watch our latest video guidance for building practitioners on the Victorian variations via link in bio or at our YouTube channel. #nationalconstructioncode #BPCEducation