The Building Services Board of Western Australia has found a Perth-based building surveying firm and its director guilty of engaging in misleading conduct during the certification process of a medical facility’s design and construction.
Fast Track Approvals Pty Ltd (BSC117) and its nominated supervisor, Andre Marcel Gillot (BSP193), were cautioned by the Board for their actions, prompting Building and Energy to emphasise the importance of thorough and accurate certifications, especially when dealing with changes in a building’s classification.
The incident occurred in 2022 when Fast Track Approvals issued a certificate of design compliance (CDC) for a radiology clinic in Booragoon, which was submitted to the City of Melville as part of a building permit application.
The CDC is meant to declare that the proposed building work will comply with applicable standards if it follows specific plans, specifications, and technical documents.
However, the City of Melville refused the permit application after discovering that the building work described in the CDC was already nearly complete.
Furthermore, the City found discrepancies in the building classification, with the CDC describing a Class 5 building (medical facility), while corresponding site plans referred to a Class 6 building (showroom).
The issue was compounded when Fast Track Approvals later issued a certificate of building compliance (CBC) for the clinic’s occupancy permit application.
The Board was informed that this CBC failed to address the change in building classification or demonstrate how key parts of the work complied with applicable building standards.
Building Commissioner Saj Abdoolakhan stressed the importance of registered building surveyors being thorough and informed when certifying building plans and work, citing potential impacts on future occupants.
He stated: “In this case, the building surveyors should have noticed and addressed obvious irregularities before issuing the certifications.”
The Commissioner also highlighted that a change in building classification requires compliance with current building standards, which can be a complex process, particularly for older buildings.
While the Board noted that Fast Track Approvals and Gillot had no prior compliance issues and cooperated with the investigation, this case serves as a reminder of the critical role building surveyors play in ensuring public safety and regulatory compliance.
Building and Energy has published a Code of Conduct for building surveyors and is currently developing a Code of Practice to further guide professionals in the industry.
