THOUSANDS of homes with faulty electrical wiring would have alerts added to rates notices to warn any future buyers in a push by building industry bosses – and landlords would be banned from renting homes until it was replaced.
The move has the backing of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
About 6800 Queensland properties – mostly houses – were among the 22,000 nationwide that had Infinity and Olsent-branded cabling installed.
Poor quality plastic coating means it will become brittle over time, risking electrocution, or fires if there is physical contact in areas such as roof spaces and under raised floors, or close to heat sources such as ovens, hot-water systems and recessed lights.
But a voluntary recall scheme, approved by the ACCC last year, has accounted for only about 40 per cent of the dangerous wiring.
The deterioration is expected to start this year in locations with high temperatures. Master Builders Queensland deputy executive director Paul Bidwell said many property-owners had not come forward and some had even refused access to replace the cabling.
The recall covers only wiring in accessible areas – not behind walls – and a warning is placed on the meter advising some of the cabling is still present. Mr Bidwell said some owners feared that could lower the property’s value and so did not replace any of it.
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