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A Perth man has been fined $2,000 for falsely claiming employment at a major construction company and forging the signature of a major construction company’s CEO while applying for builder registration.
A Perth man, who cannot be named due to a spent conviction, has pleaded guilty to providing false information following prosecution by Building and Energy Western Australia.
The Perth Magistrates Court heard that the man had twice applied for registration as a building practitioner, claiming to have worked for a major construction company and providing forged statements of validation that were purported to have been signed by the firm’s CEO.
The man also applied to register his business as a building contractor and named the same construction company’s CEO as the nominated supervisor of his own firm.
Despite these claims, the court was told that the CEO of the construction company had not previously employed or known the man.
The CEO was also unaware of the man’s business and had not seen or signed any of the documents provided in the applications.
A defence lawyer reportedly told the court that the accused man had previously paid $20,000 to two associates for assistance with the building registration application.
It was said that these acquaintances were the ones who had added the false experience instead of including the man’s genuine history.
In response, Building and Energy WA’s lawyer said that even if others were involved, the applicant himself would have been aware early on that false information was included in his applications.
Magistrate Sarah Oliver emphasised the importance of honesty and general deterrence while noting the man’s early guilty plea and prior good character.
She ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine and $300.50 in costs.
Building commissioner Saj Abdoolakhan, said it was an offence under WA’s Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 to include false or misleading information in a registration application.
“Registration aims to ensure that only people with appropriate qualifications and experience carry out building work, in light of the serious implications for safety and well-being,” Abdoolakhan said.
“Attempting to bypass these requirements is unacceptable and undermines those who have achieved builder registration through genuine credentials and actual experience,” he added.
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