AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2007
Vic: Hotel renovation halted amid safety fears
MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - A Melbourne hotel has been slapped with a stop-work order
amid fears a renovation project is putting staff and guests at risk.
WorkSafe ordered the Victoria Hotel in Little Collins Street to halt construction work
today after a site inspection uncovered unsafe building practices.
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) notified WorkSafe of the
issue after an anonymous tip-off.
CFMEU state secretary Martin Kingham visited the CBD hotel at 8am (AEDT) today, describing
the building as a bomb site before being evicted.
He said staff and guests were exposed to gaping holes in the floors and hanging electrical
wires in conditions he described as third world.
"I've spent the last 35 years of my life on building sites and this would have to be
one of the worst I've seen - absolute death trap," Mr Kingham said.
Victoria Hotel general manager Peter Barker denied staff and guests had been placed
at risk during the construction, but said management was working through the issue with
WorkSafe.
"There are workplace issues that they are dealing with, they're doing an audit for us," he said.
"The building contractor ... will comply."
Mr Barker said the four-storey renovation started in July last year and involved the
refurbishment of the rear section of the hotel.
Comment was being sought from WorkSafe.
AAP cmb/gfr/imc/cdh
KEYWORD: HOTEL
2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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