Col Gowers Homes fined for 2022 building site infraction

A prominent Mildura building company has been hauled before the courts after a Victorian WorkCover Authority investigator discovered an unsafe worksite.

Col Gowers Homes has been fined after pleading guilty to having an unsafe building site

A prominent local construction company has been hauled before court after they were found to have an unsafe working environment at one of their building sites.

Col Gowers Homes was fined on Wednesday after pleading guilty to not having correct fall protection measures in place, a breach of both the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

On July 4, 2022 a WorkSafe investigator observed four people laying flooring sheets on a Col Gowers Homes building site at a height of approximately 3.5m without the correct safety measures in place.

One of the company directors, Benjamin Gowers, arrived at the site and informed the investigator scaffolding had been ordered and work was not supposed to begin until it arrived.

The court heard work ceased immediately, and subsequent visits from the investigator confirmed all directions had been complied with, noting scaffolding and edge protection railing had been fitted in the working at heights area and a safe works method statement had been provided.

Col Gowers Homes has been in operation for more than 45 years, building hundreds of homes across the Sunraysia region.

When handing down his judgement, Magistrate Patrick Southey acknowledged the company’s guilty plea, as well as the work the company had done to assist the community throughout the years.

Mr Southey also mentioned the company’s near-unblemished record since the 1970s.

Col Gowers Homes was fined $10,000 without conviction and ordered to pay $4303 in costs to the Victorian WorkCover Authority.