The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has called for urgent Government action to address unsafe and illegal building works in Robinvale.
In a letter to the Minister for Housing, Harriet Shing, Ms Benham highlighted the growing number of illegally modified dwellings & buildings being used as rooming houses in the Robinvale Irrigation District. These include sheds converted into houses, caravans under carports using unregulated and overloaded electrical works, illegal plumbing works and sewage installations, and makeshift rooms built from cool room panels.
“These illegal and unsafe building works are a serious threat to the safety of those living there as well as their neighbours,” Ms Benham said. “I’ve seen how first-hand how dangerous some of these modifications are. They create serious fire risks, and the CFA has raised strong concerns about the danger these works pose.”
Ms Benham has urged the Minister for Housing to step in and provide support to Swan Hill Rural City Council, which simply does not have the resources to manage the scale of the problem on its own. She has called for a dedicated ‘Flying Squad’ of State Building Surveyors to be deployed to Robinvale and surrounding areas to assess the risks and ensure unsafe works are addressed quickly.
“The safety of our community can’t be left to chance,” Ms Benham said. “The Government needs to step in and make sure these unsafe illegal works are dealt with before someone gets seriously hurt. This is not something that can wait.”
The Minister has confirmed that the issue has been referred to the Building and Plumbing Commission and the Office of the State Building Surveyor, and that Swan Hill Rural City Council has taken some action. However, Ms Benham says a stronger, coordinated response from the State Government is urgently needed.
“We can’t afford to wait until something tragic happens,” she said. “These works are a recipe for disaster. It’s time the Government stands up and gets on top of this problem before it gets even worse.”
