Hefty fines for dodgy operators

QFES warn of property standards

TWO Stanthorpe men have been fined a combined $23,000 for operating dodgy budget accommodation in the Granite Belt.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services successfully prosecuted Jack Cheng-Huang and Chia-Ming Lu in separate matters for building fire safety offences and properties they managed in Stanthorpe.

QFES, in a statement, said the Stanthorpe Magistrates Court found both men had failed to install suitable safety measures to account for the number of people living at the properties.

Mr Huang was fined $17,000 plus costs after pleading guilty to 22 breaches of the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 and Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Mr Lu was handed a $6000 fine plus costs after pleading guilty to 10 breaches of the Act and Regulation.

In both cases, Mr Huang and Mr Lu failed to maintain a fire exit to standard, neglected to install emergency lighting and early warning systems, and did not prepare fire safety management plans.

QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she welcomed the ruling as a win for public safety.

“Building fire safety requirements are in place to protect lives and property,” she said.

“When budget accommodation providers flout these requirements, they jeopardise the safety of their tenants and undercut providers doing the right thing.”

She said QFES investigators were constantly on the lookout for unsafe budget accommodation practices and would continue to prosecute flagrant building fire safety breaches.

“If budget accommodation operators think they can gamble with the lives of people, I’ve got news for them: expect a knock on the door from our investigators,” Ms Carroll said.

“We will work with budget accommodation providers where inadvertent mistakes have been made, but QFES will not tolerate breaches if providers deliberately try and shirk their responsibilities.”