Belcher’s collapse concern

Engineer’s deadly warning

A BUILDING Appeals Board tribunal has heard engineers were so concerned about the stability of the concrete cancer-riddled Belcher’s Corner building they believed its collapse could cause death or serious injury.

The panel members will now deliberate whether the lot owners of the condemned site should be listed on a demolition order notice issued by Geelong council last year.

The City of Greater Geelong issued an emergency demolition order for the prominent building in September and then another notice in November after the site on the corner of Moorabool and Ryrie streets was found to be riddled with cancer and at risk of collapse.

The notices were directed to the owner’s corporation and Danetha Pty Ltd, which owns several lots at the site.

Danetha Pty Ltd lodged an appeal to cancel the emergency building order.

The appeal against council — heard yesterday — is centred around a legal technicality regarding building ownership, the panel was told.

Ian Pridgeon, acting for council, told the three-person panel that last year engineers found the building was at risk of collapse and could lead to loss of life.

The tribunal heard stabilis- ation works, carried out by the city, had addressed this risk.

“The filling of the basement with sand has been complied with. (The) work was carried out via the council,” Mr Pridgeon said.

SBA Law’s Andrew Green, acting for Danetha, argued the order should be cancelled against his client because it was not the owner of the building.

The court heard the building was listed under three titles — Belcher’s Corner, Belcher’s and Hopetoun Chambers.

The hearing was adjourned to allow both parties to make further submissions.

The submissions must be made by tomorrow. The panel will make its decision after that date. It still remains unclear when the building will be demolished.

City director of planning and development Gareth Smith said last week officers were hopeful the site would eventually be redeveloped.

“The city remains hopeful that the administrator will be able to progress demolition of the site and pursue opportunities for the site’s eventual redevelopment,” Mr Smith said. “While the owners’ corporation is now in breach of the emergency demolition order, stabilisation works have been undertaken and the city’s engineers continue to monitor the closely.”