The Arthur’s Seat chairlift at Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula made national headlines in 2003 when one of its pylons collapsed, injuring 18 people. Now it’s in the news again, slapped with a charge from WorkSafe Victoria.

Last March misfortune struck the chairlift again when one of the chairs crashed into the chair in front of it, breaking the occupant’s legs.

Following the first accident the chairlift’s operators struggled to obtain public liability insurance.  But IEA Brokers (now part of OAMPS) successfully placed the chairlift with Great Lakes Reinsurance, a Munich Re-owned company. Great Lakes says if WorkSafe does decide to impose a fine, the amount won’t be covered in the chairlift’s policy.

WorkSafe now alleges the chairlift’s operators breached section 22 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for “failing to control risks to persons other than employees”. Such charges can incur fines of up to $250,000.

The chairlift’s owner, Richard Hudson, told Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper the latest setback could close the attraction once and for all. He says he spent more than $500,000 re-building the ride after the first disaster.