Action
to address these problems was supposed to be taken last year after complaints
to council saw debris thrown from the site test positive to brown asbestos. The
test report was raised at the meeting and can be seen under Asbestos Test of Debris from Rachel Forster
Nov 2011.
REDWatch
has been provided with correspondence since the meeting that set out what
Council required of the developer to address site security as a result of the
complaints. A Licenced Asbestos Contractor has subsequently assured Council
that the surrounding properties and the external site areas are free of
asbestos.
REDWatch
has provided at the bottom of this article the text of correspondence from
Council that sets out what should be happening on the site to address site
security and asbestos issues. We do this so that those surrounding the site are
aware of what the developer is supposed to be doing to secure the site.
You
will notice that these conditions were clearly breached when the public was
invited into the badly vandalised building for a public meeting on 2 June 2012.
Some people took the opportunity to wander through the building unescorted. It
was noticed at this time that one of the wooden panels was no longer attached
to the fence making access to the site still possible and that downstairs
windows and doors have been barricaded as required by council.
Other
issues raised
A
range of other concerns were raised at the Rachel Foster meeting including the
cumulative impact of the Rachel Forster site being redeveloped alongside the
new development to the rear of Rachel Forster.
Residents
of Albert Street who will be faced by more units under the current proposal are
particularly concerned about overlooking of their properties. One photo montage
showed them protected by new trees on the side walk but this is totally up to
council.
The
Approved Concept Plan proposed a public park around the existing entrance
dedicated to Council. The meeting was told however that Council were not aware
of the proposal and were reticent to take on the proposed park. If areas are to
be dedicated to Council, they must meet council requirements and Council needs
to be prepared to take them on for maintenance etc otherwise they remain the
responsibility of the development and its body corporate.
Concerns
were also raised at the meeting about the changes in design and increase in
unit numbers from those prepared for the concept plan. A preference was clearly
articulated by the meeting that Redfern wanted good quality design and
development and not cheap developments which is what some people feared was
going to be delivered. A leaflet circulated before the meeting clearly raised
this concern – Community Flyer on Rachel Forster for 16
June Meeting.
The
current plans for the site can be viewed on the REDWatch website under Pre Exhibition Consultation (16 June 12)
Documents. ABC Planning who handled the meeting for the
development said they are taking into account community feedback prior to
putting the plans on formal exhibition through the Department of Planning and
Infrastructure.
Council
Correspondence regarding Site Security and Asbestos
In correspondence from a
Specialist Environmental Health Officer at the City Of Sydney the
resident had been advised that:
” … a licensed Asbestos Contractor
has been engaged by Aargus PTY LTD and that their project Manager, Mr Con
Kariotoglou visited the site on 20th December 2011 and met Mr William
Metlej, Director of Kaymet PTY Ltd.
Mr Metlej was also
present when Peter Gooch and I (Bill Potter) attended the site and
met you on the same day.
The company will be fully reviewing the
site asbestos risk assessment early in the new year and have provided
Council with a schedule of the following interim measures, which they
will complete by the close of this week:-
- To
erect and secure all boundary fencing/hoarding on all street frontages of
the property to prevent unauthorised entry to the site. - To
erect signage on all boundary street fencing warning of ‘Authorised
Personnel Only’ and ‘Warning of Asbestos’ on site. Three (3) signs of each
must be placed along each of the street boundary fences - Authorised
personnel only must enter the site. - Barricade
and secure all openings to all buildings at ground floor level to prevent
access by unauthorised persons. - Immediately
engage an Asbestos Contractor with an AS1 licensed to remove all loose
pieces of asbestos materials from the grounds within the property
and decontaminate the interior surfaces of all buildings that have been
affected with asbestos materials within the site. - The
licenced asbestos contractor shall also immediately decontaminate
adjoining properties which may have been contaminated by asbestos, for
example to gardens and roofs of adjoining properties 146-154
Phillips Street. - Validation
sampling of soils from within the site and adjoining affected properties
will be required to determine the success of the remediation work. - Air
Monitoring around all street boundaries and adjoining properties will be
required during the duration of the asbestos remediation work. - On
completion of the decontamination of the site and adjoining properties an
Asbestos Clearance Certificate will be issued.
… if you require any further
information, please contact Health Administration on 9265 9597 and quote the
CSM number 941341 to request contact from one of my colleagues in the Health
Compliance Team”.
On 13 February Council advised :
“I write to confirm that the owners have
provided the Council with a report from a Licensed Asbestos Contractor, who has
confirmed that neighbouring properties and the external areas of the former
hospital are free from asbestos containing materials.
The report confirms that there has been
significant vandalism and theft from the building, which has resulted
in loose materials being within the site.
However, the report concludes that there
is no significant risk beyond the site boundaries and recommends that site
security is improved to prevent further intrusions and for a licensed asbestos
contractor to be engaged in asbestos removal when the site is eventually
developed.
I have requested further information
about how the conditions within the site will be reviewed and monitored prior
to re-development of the building and will advise you further when more information
is available.”
ABC Planning has advised REDWatch that they
will make available the report into asbestos on site and when received we will
post it on the website.
Source quoted above is Council correspondence
dated 22 December 2011 and 13 February 2012 sighted by REDWatch.
Meeting Report by Geoff Turnbull – REDWatch
Spokesperson (modified on 20 June based feedback and on sighting of Council
Letter of February 13 2012).