The South Australian Government has significantly increased the penalties for dodgy tradies following a spike in complaints over the past 12 months.
The new penalties will be $150,000 for individuals and $550,000 for companies for repeat offences.
New offences for unlicensed work are also now subject to on-the-spot fines of $5000 including:
- Hiring unlicensed subcontractors to undertake licensed work
- Using another contractor’s licence number
- Falsely claiming to be licensed or registered
“It is very concerning to have received so many complaints from South Australians feeling ripped off by rogue tradies and we are cracking down with much harsher penalties,” said Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs, Michael Brown.
“Most builders and tradies do the right thing, however, there is no excuse for operating without a licence and performing substandard work and then leaving people in the lurch.
“Always take the time to compare the quotes from different businesses and make sure everyone who provides a quote is licensed. If they are not, report them to CBS.”
For more information about the new penalties visit:
https://cbs.sa.gov.au/campaigns/south-australias-building-and-construction-industry-changes.
