A stop work order has been slapped on a construction site near the Wollongong CBD due to the risk of workers falling.
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The developer - Raw Constructions in Miranda - has also had a second stop work order placed on an Engadine project for the same reason.
The Wollongong project, located on the corner of Keira and Ellen streets, is a seven-storey complex with 34 apartments.
On March 8, as part of a building blitz in the Illawarra, Fair Trading officials inspected the site.
According to the stop work order, officials found construction work taking place close to scaffolding and lift shafts on several levels without adequate fall protection.
On March 10 Raw was notified of an intent to issue a stop work order and invited to make a submission.
That submission stated Raw had "made urgent arrangements to have the missing and/or adequate scaffolding remedied by Sydney Hoist & Scaffolding Pty Limited".
It stated the scaffolding work was due to be completed by the end of March 13 - a later email shortened the date to March 11 - and the site would remain closed until it received a handover certificate from the scaffolding company.
However, in the order Assistant Building Commissioner Matthew Whitton took into account that building work had already taken place without proper fall protection.
There was also the issue of whether the fault had been rectified.
"No proper safe handover certificate from Sydney Hoist & Scaffolding Pty Limited has been provided indicating that the required fall protection was completed on March 11, 2023, and as such required fall protection remains outstanding while building work continues at the development," the order stated.
In issuing the order that work stop on March 21, Mr Whitton stated his belief that work was being carried out, or likely to be carried out, without sufficient fall protection.
"I consider that work from heights requires proper fall protection, as proper fall protection is critical to the safety and integrity of the development," he said in the order.
"Without proper fall protection, in the event of any fall from heights of either plant or personnel will result in the death or serious injury to workers onsite."
A second order was placed on Raw Construction's site - a six-storey apartment complex - at Caldarra Avenue in Engadine, which was inspected on the same day.
Raw stated the scaffolding work was due to be completed by March 13.
However, without a safe handover certificate from the same scaffolding company, Mr Whitton said "I remain satisfied that the required fall protection remains outstanding while building work continues at the development".
A spokesman from Fair Trading said as of Friday morning, both stop work orders were still in place.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
