Inspections urged as six hurt in balcony collapse
![Killed ? Craig Taylor, 53, was crushed under an awning.](/web/20071210220400im_/http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/12/09/craig_taylor_narrowweb__300x399,0.jpg)
Killed … Craig Taylor, 53, was crushed under an awning.
OLD-STYLE terraces in Sydney should be inspected, local authorities and planning experts have warned, after a spate of crumbling buildings killed one person and injured six at the weekend.
Six people were hurt on Saturday night when a balcony on a Surry Hills terrace collapsed, and a man died in Balgowlah on Friday when an awning fell on him during a storm.
The incidents follow the demolition of an Indian takeaway restaurant on Crown Street, Surry Hills after the building began to tip into a neighbouring construction site.
The president of the Local Government Association, Genia McCaffrey, said yesterday that councils should discuss, with the Department of Planning, a way to ensure that buildings of "a certain age" were inspected regularly, possibly as part of their insurance assessment, rather than literally leaving them to rot. Inspections were usually only carried out when renovations occurred. "From a heritage and conservation point of view, it's really important that we keep these buildings. A lot of the reason people want to live in Surry Hills or Paddington is because of the terrace buildings," Ms McCaffrey said. "I wouldn't want to see us end up with a wholesale demolition of these suburbs. We need to have a look at funding that large-scale structural analysis of buildings that maybe haven't been renovated because they've been rented. It's a massive job."
On Saturday night, a balcony fell three metres into a courtyard during a party in Smith Street. Six people were taken to hospital but only two were admitted.
In Victoria yesterday, seven people were injured, three of them seriously, when a balcony collapsed in the Dandenong Ranges. Angus Kell, the NSW manager of Archicentre, the inspection service run by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, said many terrace balconies had been built before strict standards were introduced, and were not designed to accommodate large numbers of people.
Inner-city terraces were a breeding ground for termites because they were poorly ventilated, built close to the ground and did not receive much sunlight, Mr Kell said. They should be independently assessed every six to 12 months.
The family of the man who died in Balgowlah released a statement saying he was a fantastic human being who would be remembered, respected and adored forever and they thanked the community for its support.
Craig Taylor, 53, was sheltering from the storm when the awning and part of the building's facade collapsed on top of him.
The Mayor of Manly, Peter MacDonald, said the council had asked businesses to get their buildings assessed three months ago but it was not clear if the one that fell on Mr Taylor belonged to a business that had complied.
with AAP
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