More than 100 building sites from Coffs Harbour to Tweed Heads have been hit by a major compliance blitz, uncovering unlicensed work, dodgy electrical jobs and missing safety paperwork at sites right across the region.
Operation Broadwater, run by Building Commission NSW, swept through some of the coast’s busiest growth corridors on Thursday, 5 June, visiting Casuarina, Coffs Harbour, Corindi Beach, Cudgen, Cumbalum, Goonellabah, Kingscliff, Lennox Head, Moonee Beach, Mullumbimby, Southwest Rocks, Terranora, Toormina, Tweed Heads South, Valla Beach, Woolgoolga and Yamba.
Inspectors handed out 35 fines and 40 Written Direction Notices. Twenty-three of those fines were for unlicensed work and contracting, with another five for incorrect display of signage. Five more fines went to tradies for non-compliant plumbing in heat pump installations, and two for non-compliant electrical work on the same systems.
The Written Direction Notices told a story of their own. Twenty-six were issued for missing Safety Data Sheets for battery systems, 16 for inadequate main switch labelling, and 11 for insufficient signage detailing battery system voltage and currents.
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said local families deserved better.
“Our North Coast communities are growing rapidly, and local families investing their hard-earned money into building a home deserve absolute peace of mind,” said Minister Saffin. “They need to know that every dollar they spend is buying a safe, compliant, and structurally sound property.”
“We know the vast majority of tradies are doing the right thing. Operation Broadwater shows why proactive enforcement is so critical.”
NSW Building Commissioner James Sherrard said unlicensed work remained a persistent problem.
“While most tradespeople were doing the right thing, unlicensed work and electrical compliance remain an issue that Building Commission NSW continues to see throughout the state,” Mr Sherrard said.
“I want to re-iterate to the industry, especially on the Mid North and North Coast, that we take a strong regulatory approach to these issues because they can pose serious risks to homeowners.”
Minister for Building Anoulack Chanthivong said the operation was one of the biggest the commission had run this year.
“Operation Broadwater is one of the biggest compliance campaigns Building Commission NSW has conducted this year, demonstrating the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to lifting standards across the building industry,” said Minister Chanthivong.
Alongside the inspections, Building Commission NSW held industry seminars in Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads, covering licensing and supervision requirements, Home Building Compensation Fund obligations and recent regulatory changes.
The commission has been operating as the dedicated building regulator since 2023. Further seminars are planned this year in Queanbeyan, Dubbo, Bathurst, Port Macquarie, Forster, Albury, and back on the North Coast at Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour.
“Building Commission NSW will continue to undertake proactive inspections and engagement across the state to support a fair, compliant and safe residential construction industry in NSW,” Mr Sherrard said.
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