By Michael Bleby
A client of the inner Melbourne council has criticized this claim as “unproven” and not being supported.
Adco Constructions sent a letter to another client, in March of this year. The report by a structural engineering firm found that Adco Constructions was not responsible for the collapse.
In a letter sent to clients on March 7, the Victorian State Manager of Adco stated that “the report concluded that the collapse occurred due to an issue related to design and not fabrication or assembly”.
The report was shared with [Boroondara] Council as well as [regulator] WorkSafe (Victoria) to aid its investigation.
The Australian Financial Review published a letter obtained by The Australian Financial Review last week, as part of an FOI request made to the neighbouring City of Stonnington council and also a client of Adco. The response received from Boroondara Council was strong on Friday.
A spokesman stated that “the Council does not agree” with Adco’s conclusions as to what caused the roof collapse.
The implication of Adco’s letter that there was no issue relating to fabrication and installation of steel at this point is not supported.
After almost a full year of silence, the public spat between Adco and the wealthiest council in Melbourne has broken out.
Adco refused to comment. Williams Ross Architects’ lawyer, who represents the design firm of the centre, denied any responsibility. He declined to elaborate.
Adco may have used temporary roof structures in the construction of the structure. It would then have taken the expert advice from a consultant that it hired to do the job.
WorkSafe Victoria has begun an investigation into the incident, which could last until next year. However, it is not certain that its findings will be made public. The regulator doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations.
The Kew Recreation Centre collapsed nearly a year back, and the dispute that has been unfolding over it shows how unchecked claim can spread in the world of Australian construction.
The Council was aware of Adco’s statements about the project made to clients at least as early as March, but did not speak out against it. The Financial Review contacted the council about the letter.
Phil Dwyer is the national president of Builders’ Collective, a advocacy group. He said that there was an “absolute” responsibility on behalf of the council to provide transparency about a project whose cost would likely double.
Dwyer stated that the amount would likely double to about $130 or $140 millions.
They’re not transparent, and certainly they aren’t being accountable. “The secrecy around commercial builders is outrageous.
ACIF, the peak industry group for construction, has forecast that over the next 3 years more than 12 billion dollars will be spent on community facilities, prisons and defence buildings.
A spokesman for the council said that it could not speculate on possible causes of collapse.
He said that “WorkSafe” and the Victorian Building Authority were conducting detailed investigations to determine the cause of this collapse.
It would not be appropriate for the council to speculate about the results of these investigations or to act as a preemptor, given the severity of this issue.
The debris from the accident has been removed and the site for the project to build a public swimming pool and gym is now empty. The council announced earlier last week that it would be reviewing the structural integrity of the remaining steel, and was planning to reconstruct the structure.
Council members said that the likely date of completion was “early in 2026”. This is a one-year delay from the date discussed by the council at its meeting held on May.
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