EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION
BY ASHLEY GEELAN & JANICE MITCHELL
In a clear breach of Victorian Occupational Health & Safety law Telstra or NBN Co (each blames the other or “buck passes”) left an underground street pit uncovered and not properly fenced off for over three weeks’ until being contacted by Kinglake Ranges News.
Does half a fence and someone’s hard rubbish of two chairs count as safe? A private individual, such as a builder, would be fined by Worksafe and possibly shut-down or taken to court if they did the same.
Not until Kinglake Ranges News contacted Telstra and Worksafe Victoria via email was the issue dealt with.
The pit in Nicholson Street, Reservoir, was left uncovered for over three weeks, with several young children falling into the pit whilst riding BMX bikes or scooters, with several incidents and injuries to teenagers witnessed by Kinglake Ranges News.
Teachers at Reservoir High School – on the condition of anonymity – questioned Telstra and NBN Co’s failure to meet basic safety standards opposite a secondary college.
At 10 am today the pit was still uncovered. By 3 pm today it had been filled in. One wonders why now after three weeks?
Why did it take Kinglake Ranges News contacting Telstra and NBN Co, with Worksafe Victoria also contacted in the same email to fix this dangerous issue?
Yet again, [evidence keeps mounting] it’s an example of why Telstra and NBN Co need to be re-nationalised and bought back under full Commonwealth control, with a technician stating that …
“They [Telstra] don’t have a fucking clue these days mate …. they’re a bunch of fucking dickheads.
“You’ll just get some dickhead in Mumbai who doesn’t have a fucking clue,” a sub-contracted Telstra technician, John*, told Kinglake Ranges News.
Technician, John, is just one of many current sub-contracted employees who – by all accounts – feel the same way.
Former Telecom Australia technicians told Kinglake Ranges News that “Telstra don’t have a … clue.”
An elderly woman, Marg*, who fears repercussions from Telstra and NBN Co., who lives nearby to the pit said “[I have] seen several school children fall into the pit, some were hurt so I gave them band-aids and betadine on their sores.”
The pit is located opposite Reservoir High School.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz-DYczfor0&w=735&h=538]
“I saw a little kid fall into the pit the other week … I thought he’d broken his leg,” Marg said.
Telstra, NBN Co and Worksafe Victoria were contacted on Friday for a response.
None was provided.
*Marg is not her real name. *John is not his real name.
THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF AN ONGOING SERIES INVESTIGATING HOW ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN SOLD TO MULTI-NATIONAL CONGLOMERATES FOR SHAREHOLDER RETURNS AT THE EXPENSE OF CUSTOMERS OF CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
