UPDATED: The NT Government has failed to rectify outstanding public safety risks at TIO Stadium ahead of this weekend’s Grand Final and will implement temporary measures to reduce risk in an effort to address firefighters’ safety concerns about the building, the NT Independent can reveal.

The stadium still does not currently have an occupancy permit due to a wide range of unresolved public safety issues – including insufficient fire hydrant pressure – with people only being permitted to enter the building for the game by a special ministerial order.

Last June, the government and NT fire services were left scrambling to find solutions for the fire safety risks ahead of an AFL match, that included bringing in an extra water tanker and other equipment to better protect firies and the public.

In response to an email by a firefighter who raised questions about the safety risks at the stadium, NT fire services management have revealed that the rectification works at the stadium have “not yet been finalised” and that extra “risk mitigation strategies” will again be deployed to protect the public on Saturday.

Despite knowing about the fire safety risks for years, the NT Government has been unable to fix the ongoing problems since at least last June, despite its failed attempts, that have included re-hiring the company that designed the flawed fire hydrant system to investigate and “upgrade” it last year.

However, it was later revealed that Cardno did not have the proper licence to carry out the works.

An earlier independent audit found the water flow at the Marrara Stadium did not meet national minimum standards and put people attending games and firefighters at risk.

It was also later revealed that government officials had disabled the fire alarm system during last year’s Grand Final for reasons never explained, that would have prevented an activated fire alarm from being relayed to fire services.

According to emails provided by the union representing the NT’s firefighters, an email asking whether the works on the fire hydrant system had been carried out was first ignored but later responded to after the NT Independent reported the concerns were being ignored.

“[Last June], as I understand, was the last major event held at the stadium that had a considerable spectator presence,” the email from a firie to a Watch Commander dated last Friday stated. “I assume that the NTFL Grand Final would possibly draw a crowd equivalent if not greater.

“No further information has subsequently been provided to myself or other HSR’s [health and safety representatives] of operational work groups on the rectification of those issues with the TIO installed fire systems.

“As such could we be provided with details that those systems are now to standard in order to protect a large crowd at a licenced venue, in the event of a fire event?

“I have attached the emails outlining the hazard and mitigation measures employed last year during the exhibition match in June 2022 to re-employ if no rectification of the system has been effected to date.”

On Thursday evening, after the first story ran, NTPFES management responded to the concerns, indicating it would be bringing in the extra measures to keep firefighters and the public safer, however it is understood the measures might not be enough in the event of an actual fire at the structure.

According to the email from management, the government will again bring in a bulk water carrier, roster on a third person to operate the “bronto” fire truck and ensure fire alarms from the stadium are sent to two different stations and committed that a watch commander and the bronto will attend to any alarms from the stadium.

The United Workers Union NT said their members had not received a response to their first email nearly a week after asking questions about the current state of the building’s fire systems. The response indicating the plan was sent just two days before the Grand Final.

In late June last year, Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler announced she would be extending TIO Stadium’s exemption from requiring certification indefinitely while also announcing an internal “building compliance taskforce” to investigate other non-compliant government-owned buildings.

The union said firies have also asked for a list of the other buildings that could “potentially expose firefighters to unknown hazards when combatting structure fires and other incidents”.

That information was not provided in the email response from management, who said only that the “work of the taskforce remains ongoing”.

The department did not respond to the NT Independent’s questions, including why they have still not been able to correct the safety issues at the stadium and what work the taskforce had completed to date.

The department, including chief executive Andrew Kirkman and building controller Mark Meldrum have repeatedly downplayed the safety concerns raised about the stadium despite being unable to have the building signed off on by certifiers.