Two related articles:
Hostels in joint call for action
THE system designed to save backpackers’ lives is failing and illegal operators are getting away with it scot free, according to budget accommodation operator John Walker.
Mr Walker said the majority of illegal operators investigated over the past two months by Bundaberg Regional Council, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) and Bundaberg Police had been operating under the radar for years because of a lack of a single watchdog....
“Because they’re not complying with things they have got a competitive advantage over us because they don’t spend the money on fire safety or on their vehicles.”
Bundaberg hostels' fire safety disappointing: Qld Govt
Queensland's acting Emergency Services Minister Andrew Fraser says he is disappointed by three hostels in the Bundaberg region that have failed to meet fire safety standards.
The budget accommodation providers may face prosecution, which could involve fines or being shutdown.
Mr Fraser says the hostels were unregistered and therefore not subject to annual checks.
The State Government is being urged to set up a body to register hostels and ensure they are safe.
Hostel owner John Walker says there is a lack of coordination between state and local governments.
Related: a hostel fire that killed 18 people in 2000...
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