A BUILDER has been suspended after inspectors allegedly uncovered 70 building defects at a Carrum Downs townhouse.
Inspectors from the Building and Plumbing Commission looked into the site late last year. They allege that 70 defects were found at one townhouse, and that there may have been as many as 500 across the seven townhouses on the site.
Following the inspection, the BPC suspended Unik Constructions Pty Ltd. In a statement, the BPC said “the public interest suspension on 206 grounds applies to both the company’s domestic and commercial building registrations and the personal domestic and commercial registrations of its nominee director Pratheepan Saravanapavan.”
“The suspension is in place pending a show cause process and notice which proposes the cancellation and disqualification of all four registrations and a fine totalling $230,000,” the BPC said. “The litany of defects includes several that pose serious safety risks with deficiencies in the fire wall separation framing and other structural issues. The show cause notice also outlines how Saravanapavan provided false and misleading termite protection work certificates to relevant building surveyors on more than 60 occasions.”
BPC commissioner and CEO Anna Cronin said the Carrum Downs site “is one of the worst cases of building work we’ve seen, and we’ve taken action to protect consumers.”
“Most builders do the right thing but those who don’t need to realise there’s a new regulator in town who will hold you to account,” Cronin said. “Our new powers coming in next year will further strengthen the regulator, protect consumers and improve confidence in the building industry.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 13 January 2026