Councils want powers to take on private certifiers amid building site complaints We’re sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Normal text size Advertisement Sydney mayors have called for greater powers to deal with dodgy private certifiers, saying their councils have been inundated with complaints about building sites. Waverley Council received 801 complaints about illegal development or use of buildings in 2019-20, compared with 414 in 2018-19. Waverley mayor Paula Masselos said the council was concerned about issues at building sites under the authority of private certifiers. Credit:James Alcock Waverley's Labor mayor, Paula Masselos, said the council was concerned about issues at building sites under the authority of private certifiers.