Business fined for refusing to provide electrical information

A WA construction business has been fined $6000 for disregarding an official request to provide information during an electrical compliance investigation.

Following prosecution by WA safety regulator Building and Energy, RJ Developments Pty Ltd was found guilty at Perth Magistrates Court of breaching the Energy Coordination Act 1994.

Under this law, designated inspectors have the power to request any information, records or documents to determine compliance with electrical legislation. It is an offence to not comply with these requests without a reasonable excuse.

The court heard that in November 2024, a Building and Energy electrical inspector had asked for documents and information from RJ Developments as part of an investigation into possible unlicensed electrical work.

The inspector spoke with the company’s sole director by phone, later delivering a written request to the principal place of business. Despite these measures, the company failed to provide the documents or information.

No representative of RJ Developments attended court on 11 April 2025. In addition to the fine, the company was ordered to pay $349.50 in costs.

WA’s Director of Energy Safety, Saj Abdoolakhan, said it was unacceptable to disregard any aspect of electrical regulation. “These laws protect the community,” he said.

“Failure to comply with an inspector’s request for relevant information can impede investigations of electrical safety breaches and put people at risk.”

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