Collapse of St Hilliers
This week’s collapse of St Hilliers and the subsequent Ararat prison site closure highlights the increasing problem of the purchase and installation of non compliant window systems across this country. Victorian CFMEU State Secretary, Bill Oliver, spoke to Tracey Gramlick yesterday and confirmed the issue is significant. He quoted the growing number of overseas window suppliers approaching building sites directly and offering products at prices much lower than offered by local manufacturers who bear the costs of testing to standards and conforming to minimum BCA requirements. These building standards are crucial to the integrity of Australia’s building stock.
Under the AWA’s recent campaign and ongoing fight against non compliance, poor testing and fraudulent SAI Global certificates we see a measurable improvement in the Western Australian market. Our campaign now moves to Victoria as we work with building and surveyor association partners to expose and address the growing number of buildings and sites being identified to us.
The story on the botched order for windows and doors was also reported in the Melbourne Herald Sun and
The Daily Telegraph in Sydney on Thursday 18th May.
View Daily Telegraph article here:
The crisis that has brought the Ararat prison site to a halt was caused by faulty windows and doors imported from China.
Subcontractors withdrew their workers last week after learning builder St Hilliers was unable to pay outstanding bills. The company has now been placed in administration as a result of losses arising on the job.
Hundreds of windows and doors manufactured in China arrived on site cut to wrong sizes, making them useless. Some have been sent back while others are lying around in packing cases on the now idle site.
The folly of importing building components has again been exposed and Victoria looks set to pay a heavy price. Local manufacturing jobs have been sacrificed, building workers have been tipped out of work and at some stage the state will have to find the money to get the project going again.
