On January 8, the council declared the Sloane Street accommodation house a "threat to public safety and health" and forced its closure. It was acting on an earlier stop-use order issued in November which required the owners to upgrade fire safety to meet standards and rid the motel of black mould.

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Council general manager Warwick Bennett claimed the Lodge had continued to operate over Christmas and New Year despite the November 19 order. At the time he issued a public warning urging people not to stay there.

Compliance officers had been tipped off about the fire safety issues by a contractor, commissioned by the owners to assess compliance. Mr Bennett described the electrical wiring as "shoddy at best" and said it could cause a fire.

But on Tuesday he told The Post that the council had issued a certificate of clearance on Friday, allowing the motel to re-open.

"The owners have been working hard to fix the electricals and they finally employed a professional tradesman to do it," he said.

"They have also deep-cleaned the premises and got rid of the black mould. We're comfortable with where it's at but we'll be doing regular monitoring."

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Mr Bennett had previously criticised the fact that the owners had undertaken the electrical wiring themselves, following the November compliance order.

The council had also threatened to seek an injunction through the NSW Land and Environment Court to stop operations. However the matter did not reach that point.

The owners declined comment.

Mr Bennett told The Post the council had similar compliance concerns with two other commercial premises in Goulburn and was having "robust discussions" with the owners.

He declined to name them.

The planning department has cracked down on compliance matters with a host of developments over the past year, including unapproved works in urban and rural areas.

These have included sheds and other structures used as living quarters and vehicles congregated around homes. Several cases have been taken to court.

Councillors are regularly updated on their progress and new matters.

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