A builder has been fined $25,000 after illegally constructing two townhouses in Attwood without proper permits, prompting strong condemnation from Victoria’s building watchdog.
Buildqa Pty Ltd and its sole director Nicolas Artusa pleaded guilty in the Melbourne’s Magistrates’ Court to carrying out construction without a building permit and failing to comply with a stop work order issued in December 2024.
The offending occurred on Tattenham Court, where two three-storey homes and garages were built far beyond the scope of a staged permit granted in May 2023.
The permit only allowed work to progress to “stage one- slab steel” and included five mandatory inspections.
But when Hume council inspected the site, it found the building had advanced to include significant structural framework and brickwork, breaching the $650,000 project’s permit conditions.
Despite taking Artusa’s family and financial hardship into account and not recording a conviction, the Magistrate labelled the conduct “very serious”, noting the Victorian Building Authority’s (VBA) case was “overwhelming.”
More than 130 defects and non-compliance have since been uncovered, with authorities still assessing if the structure can be salvaged or must be demolished.
VBA commissioner and chief executive Anna Cronin said the case highlighted the importance of compliance in the building sector.
“Building permits exist to protect consumers and ensure homes are safe and compliant,” Ms Cronin said.
“Conduct like this undermines confidence in the building industry and those who engage in it should expect serious consequences from the regulator.”
