MELBOURNE – The Southern Star – Melbourne’s giant observation wheel – is likely to be out of action for several months yet.
The A$100 million wheel suffered cracks that shut down the ride only 40 days after it opened.
Originally the cracks were thought to have been caused by intense heat in the city, but engineers now say the wheel has a design fault, for which the Japanese company that designed the structure has agreed to accept responsibility.
The shutdown of the wheel so soon after its launch – which itself was delayed – has put pressure on owners of retail outlets at a new shopping precinct close to the base of the wheel.
The Singapore Flyer also suffered problems late last year, a fire putting it out of action for several weeks.
