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Building Act 2004
50CSite work without adequate development approval—
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50C Site work without adequate development approval—
partners
(1) Each partner commits an offence if—
(a) the partnership is a certifier; and
(b) the certifier issues a building approval or approves amended
(c) the site work proposed in the approved plans requires
(d) when the building approval is issued or the amended plans are
approved, there is no development approval for the site work if
carried out in accordance with the plans.
See example for s 50B (1).
(2) Each partner commits an offence if—
(a) the partnership is a certifier; and
(b) the certifier issues a building approval or approves amended
(c) the approved plans are defective because they—
(i) contain information that is false or inaccurate in a material
respect; or
(ii) omit information required to be shown in the plans; and
(d) if the plans were not defective, the certifier would have
contravened subsection (1).
(3) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against subsection (1)
or (2) if a partner proves that the partnership—
(a) took all reasonable steps to find out whether the site work, if
carried out in accordance with the approved plans, required
(b) was satisfied on reasonable grounds that the development did
not require development approval.
(4) For subsection (3) (b), a partnership is taken to be satisfied on
reasonable grounds if a partner proves that the partnership relied on
an exemption assessment D notice, issued not more than 3 months
before the day the application for building approval was made, stating
that the development did not require development approval.
(5) Subsection (4) applies whether or not the exemption assessment D
notice was incorrect, unless the prosecution establishes that at least 1
of the partners knew, or could reasonably be expected to have known,
that the notice was incorrect.
(6) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against subsection (1)
or (2) if the partner proves—
subsection involved in the offence; and
(7) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against subsection (2)
if a partner proves that the partnership—
(a) took all reasonable steps to find out if the approved plans were
defective; and
(b) was satisfied on reasonable grounds that the plans were not
defective.
(8) To remove any doubt, if a building approval indicates that something
is not to have work done in relation to it, or is not part of the building
approval, the certifier does not commit an offence under this section
in relation to the thing.
(9) An offence against subsection (1) or (2) is a strict liability offence.