BY MICHAEL ARNOLD
Less than 24 hours after its official opening, questions have already been raised about the safety of the new Air Niugini residential complex at 7-Mile, Moresby North-East.
Building contractor, Matrix Constructions PNG has come forward, alleging that Air Nuigini has breached a number of fire safety regulations, which due to their severity, now render the new building a fire hazard.
But Air Niugini when contacted maintained that the new residential complex is up-to-date with the code after a joint inspection of the building by the NCD Building Authority and PNG Fire service last Thursday.
Documentation provided by Matrix Constructions PNG show that a routine inspection of the building by the PNG Fire Service on May 25 last year, concluded that the eight-level apartment complex did not satisfy requirements under the PNG Fire Code PNGS 1629, for the provision and installation of portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets, in all residential unit kitchen areas.
Other areas of non-compliance highlighted in the inspection report included the preparation and implementation of an emergency management plan, conforming to Australian Standard 3745-2010 and the provision of fire suppression at the lobby building.
In spite of these shortcomings, Air Niugini was issued a Permissive Occupancy certificate by the NCD Building Board on May 22 last year, on the condition that it complied with the stated requirements before a full occupancy certificate could be issued.
However, successive follow-ups on non-compliance by the PNGFS and the NCD Building Authority indicate that Air Niugini still failed to meet fire safety requirements over the next 191 days.
Up until the National Capital District Building Board finally suspended both permissive occupancy notices for the apartment building and the lobby building on November 29 last year and ordered the building to be vacated.
Air Niugini has defied two successive notices from the NCD Building Authorityinstructing the building to be vacated until such a time that the new owners could meet fire safety requirements.
Furthermore, both the NCDC chief building inspector and inspectors from Matrix Constructions PNG were refused entry into the premises on two occasions, despite the ongoing defects liability period currently being observed by Matrix Constructions as the original building contractor.
However, in a brief interview yesterday, Air Niugini spokesperson, Dominic Kaumu refuted all claims that the building was not up to code.
Kaumu stating that a joint inspection of the building by the NCD Building Authority and PNG Fire service last Thursday found the new residential complex to be up to code, having satisfied all necessary regulations.