Safety upgrades for controversial $1bn Festival Tower as mystery shrouds

A safety overhaul has been ordered for Adelaide’s $1bn Festival Tower despite an official investigation failing to prove the cause of two dangerous site breaches in four months.

A safety overhaul has been ordered for Adelaide’s $1bn Festival Tower despite an official investigation failing to prove the cause of two dangerous site breaches in four months.

Mystery surrounds how a 1m-long piece of plywood plunged from the 115m-high tower building, into parliament’s courtyard in February.

A similar incident occurred in November last year.

The wood fell 19 floors to parliament’s courtyard, which is popular with workers and MPs. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The view from the top of the One Festival Tower. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Despite “extensive” investigations, SafeWork SA inspectors and construction bosses failed to find how wood fell from the 19th floor of the 29-storey tower on North Tce.

The state’s safety watchdog has ordered more “controls” at the Festival Plaza site.

Sources said officials believed it was “sabotage” and “deliberate” human act.

Each floor has steel mesh and other coverings to stop falling material.

They said a routine building safety inspector was undertaken shortly before the February 24 incident.

Built manages its construction and work and safety practices. A spokeswoman did not return calls. Picture: Supplied

It dwarfs parliament and Festival Plaza. Officials say ‘sabotage’ has been investigated. Picture: Supplied

“The builders are scratching their heads how an accident like that could possibly have happened,” one official said.

Another said: “They have been investigating sabotage.”

Walker Corporation is developing One Festival Tower, which is considered one of SA’s most controversial buildings.

Building firm Built is responsible for site works and safety.

A SafeWork SA spokesman would not comment on the sabotage reports.

But he added: “Extensive inquiries by SafeWork SA Inspectors and the Principal Contractor (Built) could not determine how the item came to be where it was found.

Parliament in front of One Festival Tower, Festival Plaza. Picture: Ben Clark

An artist's impression of the building in the Riverbank precinct in Adelaide when it’s finished. Picture supplied by Walker Corporation and Flinders University

“Reasonably practicable control measures were in place to minimise falling objects at the time.

“However, SafeWork SA has been working with the Principal Contractor to put a number of additional controls in place to further strengthen their systems of work.”

Upper House President Terry Stephens said parliament’s courtyard, which is also used for media conferences, public tours and worker breaks, will stay shut until the tower opened.

“We’re taking every possible precaution because the safety of everyone is our primary concern,” he said.

“We’ve roped off the area and won’t open the courtyard until the building is completed.”

A Built spokeswoman did not return calls.

A Walker Corporation spokesman was unavailable.