NT watchdog probes safety at 300-plus government buildings

Compliancy requirements have been raised at more than 300 properties including Parliament House, Darwin Correctional Centre and Royal Darwin Hospital.

NT’s Parliament House is among those that may ‘not presently comply with occupancy certification requirements”. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

The Northern Territory’s anti-corruption watchdog is investigating whether more than 300 government buildings, including Parliament House, Darwin Correctional Centre and the Royal Darwin Hospital are non-compliant with building safety requirements.

The investigation comes after NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches earlier this year confirmed he was examining safety compliance issues at Darwin’s major sports stadium.

Marrara Stadium, the home of AFL and NRL games in the Top End, was built in the ’90s but never issued an occupancy certificate. Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler was forced to issue a temporary exemption to allow the building to remain open.

Commissioner Riches on Friday announced that his office had received information “suggesting there may be more than 300 other sites, either owned or leased by the Northern Territory government, with buildings or structures that do not presently comply with occupancy certification requirements”.

“Those sites include Parliament House, the prison at Holtze, the Royal Darwin Hospital, the Darwin Entertainment Centre, as well as numerous public schools and police stations,” a statement said.

“The Ombudsman and I have determined to jointly investigate the extent of non-compliance and why and how this has occurred.

“We want to hear from any person, particularly those who work in building, certification and building insurance industries, who might have information relevant to this investigation.”