People evacuated from Mt Waverley homes
on brink of collapse due to crumbling
construction site
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by: Julia Rabar, Samantha Landy, Emily Webb and Tom Minear
From: Herald Sun 16 July 2015
UPDATE: WITNESSES have detailed the dramatic moment they saw the walls of a Mt
Waverley construction site crumble “like cake”.
Archie’s Fish and Chips store owner Archie Aspros and employee Emily Cornell were
having dinner when the wall collapsed on Wednesday night.
“We heard a massive cracking thunder noise and ran outside and the whole wall had come
down,” Ms Cornell said.
Ms Cornell also told the Leader the students in the townhouse that was eventually evacuated
were watching the events unfold from the balcony.
“The students were on their balcony saying ‘wow’ and taking selfies and we were telling
them to get out.”
She said a passer-by phoned police who arrived within an hour to evacuate the townhouses.
And in the latest development, police have closed one lane on Highbury Rd westbound
and one lane on Huntingdale Rd southbound.
The traffic restriction at the major intersection is expected to cause “significant traffic
disruptions and major delays”.
Drivers are advised to avoid the area if possible.
Earlier this morning police closed the footpath surrounding the crumbling construction site,
deeming it “unsafe” as work continues to save homes at risk of collapsing.
The houses have been left teetering on the brink of collapse since two walls on the site fell in
the past two days.
The first wall collapsed on Tuesday night following days of heavy rain, forcing four people to
be evacuated from the first house and damaging sewerage pipes.
A second wall collapsed when a sewer burst about 10.45pm on Wednesday, sending debris
crashing into the 20 metre-deep construction pit. Ten residents were moved to a nearby hotel.
The large homes are bordering a major excavation pit on the corner of Huntingdale and
Highbury roads in Mount Waverley, near the Burwood border.
A truck from steel reinforcement supplier Best Bar arrived at the site at 9.45am.
Police Senior Sergeant Wayne Elston has since told TV crews and onlookers to evacuate the
footpath bordering the site, saying it has “been deemed unsafe”. Traffic has not been affected.
People have arrived to check out the site. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp
Australia
A sewer burst, sending debris crashing into the construction pit, late Wednesday night.
Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia
Monash Mayor Paul Klisaris said the footpath had been closed to “ensure people can’t go
near the site”.
Cr Klisaris said it would be a “massive task” to stabilise the site.
“Our responsibility as a council is to make sure the area is safe for people living near the site
and for passer-bys,” Cr Klisaris said.
“We have fenced off the laneway alongside the site and we are erecting fencing to close the
footpath to ensure people can’t go near the site.”
Cr Klisaris said the council was taking care of the students — all of non-English speaking
background — who had been evacuated.
“We will provide them with clothing, food and advice,” Cr Klisaris said.
He said the council had received complaints about dust at the site, but not safety.
Police Sergeant Adrian Stafferton said stabilising the wall “could take some time, we don’t
know (how long) at this stage”.
Sgt Stafferton said authorities were already investigating the site after a wall crumbled on the
southern side on Monday night.
He said the eastern walls had finished falling but other parts of the site could be at risk.
Cr Klisaris said the council had asked the Victorian Building Authority to help investigate
why the walls collapsed and how to rectify the situation.
“In Victoria, building permits can be issued by either councils or private building surveyors
registered with the Victorian Building Authority,” Cr Klisaris said.
“Due to the seriousness of this matter, we think it is only appropriate that the statewide
authority get involved so they can ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
A plumber named Phil, who lives and works on a nearby construction site, said a similar
incident occurred at Sienna Falls Estate just 2.6km down Higbury Rd, when two days of solid
raincaused a reinforcement wall to collapse in 1999.
RELATED: WALLS HAVE FALLEN IN MT WAVERLEY BEFORE
Sewage has been cut off to a small shopping strip in Barlyn Rd situated directly behind the
construction site.
Archie’s Fish and Chips, Coeliac Victoria and Tasmania, Pole Princess and Bottle-O Mt
Waverley have been affected.
Two portaloos have been placed in the laneway behind to service the small businesses.
Coeliac Victoria and Tasmania executive officer Jane Davies said she was not worried about
the building collapsing.
“The main thing is we will be stuck using portaloos for several months until the sewage is
repaired,” Mrs Davies said.
“It is the winter months, there is no privacy and there are workmen everywhere.”
Mrs Davies’ staff have decorated their portaloo with printed out pictures of candles, mirrors
and a heater.
“We are trying to make the best of a bad situation,” she said.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Leading Sen-Constable Lee Thomson said at least eight
students were forced to leave the second townhouse after the second wall collapsed.
She said men working to fix sewerage pipes damaged by the collapse heard a bang as the
wall came down.
The homes are now precariously balanced on the edge of the pit with little structural support.
WorkSafe and Monash Council are investigating and police were also on scene this morning.
A sign at the site names Gardner Group as the project’s building surveyor. Jim Nicolaou,
listed as the company’s contact person, said: “Under advice we cannot comment at the
moment”.
Burwood resident and Monash councillor Rebecca Paterson, who was at the scene with son
Isaiah, said the uncertainty was “very scary for the people living or working nearby”.
“I drive past here every day and a few days ago my husband said the excavation looked very
close to the boundary,” Cr Paterson said.
Workers and passer-bys watch on. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp Australia
Police and WorkSafe officers investigate. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: News Corp
Australia
A labourer, who did not wish to be named, said he had been working on the site for three
months.
He said safety was paramount for his boss.
“Nobody could have predicted the amount of rain on the weekend,” the labourer said.
Jennifer Trueman, manager of the Sphere Cafe which is next door to the site, said the
situation was “a bit scary”.
But she didn’t think her business would be impacted by the collapsing pit.
“It’s the houses (that are at risk) really,” she said.
“Hopefully we’re fine.”
Ms Trueman said she wasn’t surprised to hear heavy rain had likely contributed to the
collapse on Tuesday: “At the start of the week, the rain was incredible.”
She said WorkSafe staff had visited the site yesterday, and that’s when she realised
something was awry.
“We really didn’t know anything was wrong — everything looked fine to me, like a normal
construction site,” she said.
“It’s looking a bit scary now.”
A three-storey building containing a medical centre, childcare centre, dwellings, a cafe and an
underground carpark is planned for the construction pit.
A planning permit for the project was approved by Monash Council in October 2013,
permitting the construction of a two-storey building.
The council last year approved an amendment to the permit, allowing an extra floor to be
added.
The amendment application states the building’s medical centre will be home to up to 17
practitioners and the childcare facility will care for up to 175 children. The building is also
set to contain nine dwellings.
Julia.rabar@news.com.au