Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts said a fine given by Parramatta Local Court this month to a Leichhardt stone company was a reminder traders needed to be properly licensed for residential building work.

Mr Roberts said MTP Marble & Granite Pty Ltd, trading as ‘mtp Marble Granite Stone’, of Moore St, Leichhardt, had to pay more than $5,200 in penalties for breaches of the state’s business names and home building laws.

“A home building licence is a solid form of assurance for consumers that the trader they are dealing with is qualified for the job at hand,” he said.

“At the time mtp Marble Granite Stone performed residential building work at a home in Oatlands, it did not have a valid contractor licence.

“As a result, it was fined $3,500 for breaching section 4 of the Home Building Act.

“Compounding this, the business name under which the company provided the quote, mtp Marble Granite Stone, was not registered in accordance with the Business Names Act.

“It received a further $400 fine for this breach.”

Mr Roberts said the Court also ordered mtp Marble Granite Stone to pay costs totaling $1,310.

Breaches of the Home Building Act can attract a maximum fine of $110,000 for corporations or $22,000 for individuals. Breaches of the Business Names Act can result in fines of up to $5,500.

Mr Roberts said trader credentials could be easily established by checking licence details on the NSW Fair Trading website or by telephone on 13 32 20.

“I also encourage consumers to take the time to get further assurance about traders by asking for references and contact details of recent customers,” he said.

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