Zero tolerance for builders falsifying documents

Contractors who submit false statutory declarations for work undertaken on government building projects will be referred to the Queensland Police Service and advice provided to the Queensland Building Services Authority.

Housing and Public Works Minister Dr Bruce Flegg said statutory declarations were an important mechanism ensuring the correct payment of subcontractors.

“Most State Government building contracts required a signed, original statutory declaration to be submitted with each payment claim, declaring amongst other things that all workers and subcontractors of the contractor have been paid all that is due and owing,” he said.

“These statutory declarations are not just another piece of paper to sign when submitting a payment claim — they are important legal documents governed by the Oaths Act 1867.

“If you sign a statutory declaration knowing it to be false in any way, you may be guilty of a criminal offence under the section 194 of the Criminal Code 1899.

“In Queensland, the maximum penalty for making a false statutory declaration is three years imprisonment.

Dr Flegg said the requirement to provide statutory declarations under its building contracts was an important mechanism in promoting the proper payment of the supply chain in the building industry.

“The government relies on the truth of the declarations provided in order to make payments to contractors.

“If we suspect that a false statutory declaration has been provided, we will take the matter very seriously indeed.

“In fact, the Department of Housing and Public Works has recently referred a number of potentially false statutory declarations received on government building projects to the police for further investigation which may lead charges of criminal offences.”

Dr Flegg said if a person was found to have signed a false statutory declaration and that person held a building licence, the matter would also be referred to the Queensland Building Services Authority for consideration as to whether the person should lose their licence.

[ENDS] 20 August 2012

Media Contact: Graeme Hallett 0408 763 671