Sorry, Alcoa, but you blew it

IT’S a classic piece of parental advice — if you want to do something well, get it right the first time.

It is advice the organisers of the demolition of Alcoa’s Anglesea power station could well have done with before Wednesday’s botched attempt.

The plan was to fell the site — all except the 108-metre smoke stack — in one event between 9am and midday.

But when the large explosion ran late and then failed to demolish the main boiler building, organisers were left with a half-finished job and a whole lot of mess — both at the site and away from it.

And the wait for a date of a scheduled second attempt at the job has provided time and opportunity for some to air their concerns about potential dangers at the Alcoa site.

Barrister and clean air campaigner Andrew Laird is calling for a judicial inquiry into the planning and processes that led up to the demolition attempt, while the CMFEU is warning of health risks and safety issues at the half-blown site, citing the dangers of asbestos exposure to nearby residents.

Federal MP Sarah Henderson has also criticised the consultation process, revealing she appealed to Alcoa to delay Wednesday’s demolition to give locals more notice and information about the blast’s potential impact.

It seems the failed demolition has also exposed old wounds of nearby residents in regards to Alcoa’s handling of the site, with one Anglesea resident speaking of the community’s disappointment not only with the demolition but also the plan to sell the land for future development. Locals have been outspoken in their opposition to the residential development plan, which would also see the loss of the Anglesea Bike Park.

What Alcoa really needed from Wednesday was a safe but impressive explosion to signify the end of one era and exciting proposition for the future.

Now any hopes they might have had of a clean getaway have gone up in smoke.