Plumber’s penalty for unresolved drainage leak – Matthew Continibali

Plumbers Licensing Board media statementA Landsdale plumber has been ordered to pay almost $3,500 in fines and costs for failing to fix a drainage leak when required, resulting in two additional inspections by the plumbing regulator.At Perth Magistrates Court on 13 November 2023, Matthew Continibali (PL9752) of Contabs Pty Ltd, trading as Outlook Plumbing, pleaded guilty to breaching WA’s plumbing regulations following prosecution by the Plumbers Licensing Board.The court was told Mr Continibali was the responsible plumbing contractor for sanitary drainage plumbing work carried out by Outlook Plumbing for a house under construction in Brabham.Mr Continibali signed a compliance notice for the work in September 2022. Two months later, an inspection by Building and Energy on behalf of the Board revealed leakage.Mr Continibali was issued with a rectification notice requiring the drainage to be made watertight, but a subsequent Building and Energy inspection found it still leaked.In December 2022, Mr Continibali advised the Board that the rectification notice had been complied with. However, tests by Building and Energy shortly after found the drainage was still not watertight. Compliance was eventually confirmed by another inspection in February 2023.Mr Continibali was fined $1,500 for failing to comply with a rectification notice – an offence under the Plumbers Licensing and Plumbing Standards Regulations 2000 – and ordered to pay $1,982.30 in costs.Information presented to the court by the Board noted the public health risks associated with defective sanitary drainage plumbing work and the time and cost impacts of repairing leaks, particularly after subsequent building work.<ENDS>Media contact: BEmedia@demirs.wa.gov.au