The NT Government secretly hired the company that engineered and certified the troubled fire hydrant system at TIO Stadium to “investigate” their own project’s alleged failings amid public safety concerns, according to government documents sent to media, government officials and law enforcement agencies late last week.

Faced with ongoing certification problems and public safety concerns with the stadium in June – including concerns raised by firefighters – the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics hired Cardno NT Pty Ltd through a select tender process to investigate complaints that the fire hydrant system did not meet minimum standards of pressure, putting the stadium, occupants and firefighters at risk if a fire were to break out.

Documents previously obtained by the NT Independent show Cardno NT had designed the system in 2014.

The department refused to explain why it would hire the company that engineered the system to investigate and report back to it about alleged ongoing water pressure problems with the system, and how the department managed the potential conflict of interest.

Under questioning at Budget Estimates hearings in June, the department’s general manager of infrastructure investment and contracts, Adam Walding, told the committee that Cardno had “investigated” the water pressure issues at the front hydrant at the stadium.

That revelation was only made after questioning by independent MLA Robyn Lambley.

“It [Cardno] is doing work on the water hydrology, which is effectively, the hydrant capacity and the ability to fight fires at TIO Stadium,” Mr Walding told Estimates.

“That work continues. Through the certification process, Cardno is engaged to look at the hydrology, in particular the water pressures of the front hydrant.

“It investigated that and had reports back, which will feed into the [overall] certification of the stadium.”

NT firefighters had raised concerns about the weak water pressure ahead of the AFL Gold Coast and North Melbourne match at the venue in June, with one saying there was a “catastrophic risk”, forcing the government to enact temporary mitigation measures including bringing in a water tanker and a larger fire truck on site for the game.

The department has not publicly released Cardno’s findings about the system it certified. Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler has repeatedly claimed she had been advised there were no issues with the fire hydrant system but would not say who had advised her of this.

Also in June, the NT Independent reported that an independent engineer’s report prepared by BCA Engineers last year had raised safety issues which it said could “impact life and safety” at the venue, including that the water flow and pressure did not meet national standards.

That report was dismissed by Ms Lawler, who claimed at the time that her “advice” from unnamed advisers was that the building was “safe”.

The documents relating to Cardno being hired to investigate its own work were sent to media late last week from a concerned citizen with knowledge of the issue, who also sent the information to government ministers and high-ranking public servants, as well as police, raising questions about the government’s response to the ongoing issues with stadium.

Government tenders show Cardno (NT) Pty Ltd was paid $25,883 in a lump sum on June 1, 2022 through the select tender process, for the investigation which it listed as “additional certification requirements” for the Marrara sporting complex.

Cardno, which was recently taken over by Stantec, declined to answer the NT Independent’s questions, referring questions to DIPL.

DIPL chief executive Adnrew Kirkman and Building Controller Mark Meldrum refused to respond to questions, including why the department would use the same company that designed the hydrant system to investigate the complaint and how they managed the perceived conflict of interest of a company investigating its own work.

TIO Stadium still not certified, Minister issued exemption to keep it open

The government was forced to issue a ministerial order to permit people to occupy the stadium last year due to ongoing unresolved safety issues preventing the building from being properly granted an occupancy certificate.

Two weeks after the Estimates hearings, Ms Lawler granted the building a permanent exemption from requiring a proper occupancy permit effective from July 1.

The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption announced he was investigating the matter in March, after the Minister made the first exemption. He has yet to publicly report on the matter.

Ms Lawler did not explain if the government considered the latest exemption for the stadium as the end of the situation or if works would continue to ensure the building is properly certified and brought up to code.

The building could not be signed off on by professional certifiers because of the unresolved critical safety issues, including electrical issues, improper emergency exits and the substandard fire hydrant water pressure issue.

Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that Cardno engineered the TIO Stadium fire hydrant system but did not install the system. That work was completed by a different company which Cardno signed off on and certified.