Spaces for pests to gather.

Fats, oils and wastewater pooling below the floor.

They may not look like much, but these photos — released under Freedom of Information (FOI) laws — are evidence of alarming food safety failures in the Northern Territory's newest hospital.



Just seven years after Palmerston Regional Hospital (PRH) opened its doors to patients, the NT government has been forced to rip up and replace large sections of defective flooring.

It's estimated the hospital cost taxpayers $206 million to build.

President of the Australian Medical Association's NT branch (AMA NT), John Zorbas, believes the government should be asking for its money back.



"If the kitchen floor is damaged — then what is happening with the other floors?" Dr Zorbas said.

"We need to prove that the operating theatre floors, the emergency department floors, are intact and safe from risks like problems with infection control."

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An NT Health spokesperson said patient care and clinical services had not been impacted.

'Range' of flooring issues investigated​

The NT government hired global construction giant Lendlease as principal contractor of the hospital build, which finished in 2018.

In April this year, the NT's Department of Logistics and Infrastructure (DLI) awarded a $388,000 tender to a Darwin construction company to replace the hospital's kitchen floor.

In response to ABC questions at the time, a department spokesperson said it had engaged a consultancy firm to assess a "range of vinyl flooring issues" and determined approximately 191 square metres of kitchen floor needed replacing.

The spokesperson said the current kitchen floor did not meet NT and national environmental health and food safety standards.



The ABC then sought all internal reports relating to the hospital's damaged or faulty flooring under FOI laws, and obtained the kitchen's "compliance check" report that had been drafted by the consultants.

The report shows a "failure of the floor coverings" was found during a January 2024 walk-through of the site.

The report said that damage allowed fats, oils and water to penetrate the vinyl and gather underneath the kitchen floor.

It also found the sealant — designed to prevent grime from entering small gaps in the preparation area — was defective, along with metal joints connecting the kitchen to the coldroom.



The report said a number of plinths in the kitchen were also non-compliant because they were "harbourage for pests".

The DLI spokesperson confirmed several other areas of the hospital "may also be affected" by flooring issues as well.

Separate to the kitchen works, they said Lendlease paid for another "small" area of defective flooring to be repaired in 2023.

The spokesperson also said additional areas of flooring in buildings one and two of PRH would need "remediation".

However, because those faults were detected after a "defects liability period" had expired, Lendlease could not be compelled to pay for their repair.

"DLI had no recourse from the contractual arrangements to enforce further works or payment by the principal contractor," the spokesperson said.

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In a statement, a Lendlease spokesperson said the company remained "committed to achieving the highest standards of design and quality across all our projects".

"Palmerston Regional Hospital was delivered in 2018 and received an occupation certificate, including a hygiene certificate, confirming the hospital had met all relevant requirements under the building codes," the statement said.

Doctors union sounds alarm​

PRH has an emergency department and day surgery, as well as rehabilitation, geriatric, medical, maternity and outpatient services.

Since the NT government first announced plans to build the hospital in Darwin's satellite city of Palmerston, the project has been mired in controversy and accusations of publicity stunts.




The facility was frequently described as a "white elephant" in newspaper editorials and former AMA NT president Robert Parker once described it as a "total waste of money".

But Dr Zorbas said the hospital was now a "core part of the workload of healthcare in the Top End".

"Any areas that would have to be shut down to facilitate repairs would be a risk for health in the NT — we need that service," Dr Zorbas said.

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Health Minister Steve Edgington said there was "no indication that any other areas of the hospital are at risk".

"These are operational matters — they'll be looking at what work needs to be done in the kitchen," he said.

"At this stage, business will continue as usual at the Palmerston Hospital."

Written by Lillian Rangiah, ABC News.