South Perth building company Jaxon has been fined $5,000 for carrying out unauthorised work at a hotel in the CBD.
South Perth building company Jaxon has been fined $5,000 for carrying out unauthorised work at a hotel in the CBD.
The Adnate, a 27-storey hotel on Hay Street, was built between 2017 and 2019, during which time Jaxon applied to the City of Perth for an occupancy permit.
The application referred to amendments and work that were not part of the original building permit.
The unauthorised changes included the removal of star pressurisation, which is designed to stop smoke from entering the stairwell of a high-rise building.
WorkSafe, which investigated the matter, said Jaxon added a different fire safety measure that was not approved prior to completing the work.
A zone smoke control system – a safety measure that uses pressure changes to manage smoke at the site of a fire – was also missing from the application, WorkSafe said.
It alleged Jaxon had also carried out unauthorised work on some exit doors, as well as changed the approved design of a bar and pool area.
The builder’s nominated supervisor, Christopher Christou, was issued with a $2,500 fine.
He is no longer Jaxon's nominated supervisor.
WorkSafe Building and Energy executive director Saj Abdoolakhan said although the redesigns were eventually approved, Jaxon's conduct had undermined the building permit and certification process.
“Failure to build in accordance with approved plans is a serious matter because of the significant risks to community safety and confidence,” he said.
“Retrospective approval does not circumvent the need for a building permit, especially for the significant redesign of fire safety systems in a multi-storey building.”
Jaxon has 55 employees in Western Australia, according to Business News Data & Insights.
The company had about $235 million worth of projects in the year to June 2019, including a 15-level residential tower in Rivervale, called the Parallel apartments, and stage two of the University of Western Australia’s Forrest Hall.
Jaxon has been contacted for comment.
