About 500 Brimbank businesses and residents have been served show-cause notices for illegal building works over the past five years.
Brimbank council data shows 1644 building permits were issued across the city in the last calendar year, totalling $315 million in demolitions, renovations and new developments.
New garages, carports, pergolas, new dwellings and demolitions accounted for the top five changes made to properties last year, with 250 building permits being approved for St Albans properties.
The Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2006 state that most building work – including renovations, demolitions and removals – requires a building permit.
Other work that does not require the permit may require a planning permit.
Residents can be fined more than $72,000 and body corporates $360,000 for failing to obtain the required building permits.
City council development director Stuart Menzies said that, on average, the council had served two notices every week to residents and developers for illegal building works between 2010 and 2014.
“Illegal building works can be unsafe, void your home insurance and affect the re-sale of your property.
“If illegal building works have been undertaken, a building notice is served on the owner asking them to show cause why certain things should not be done to bring the building work into conformity with the regulations.
“If the owner does not show cause within the required time, then a building order is served ordering the work to be done,” he said.
“If the works are not undertaken, council may prosecute the matter through the magistrates court.”
The council had two successful prosecutions in the past year, including a company that carried out building works without a permit.
This company was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and the council’s $11,000 legal fees.
The other offender was fined $8000 for building without a permit.
