Perth Voice Interactive

BEAUFORT STREET landlords are fuming after being issued bills for shopfront alterations made by Stirling city council and the WA government during their road-widening program.

They say the bills are inflated and if they’d been able to get the work done themselves, it would have cost a fraction of what’s being sought.

Astor Theatre owner Bruno Zimmermann is lodging a freedom of information request after being invoiced $13,551—more than four times what he says the work should have cost him.

He was livid when the council removed an awning on the building he owns at the corner of Second Ave, later installing a “new” $27,000 replacement.

“Stirling council want me to cover half the cost of the new awning,” he says.

“I’m happy to contribute, but my builder quoted me around $6000 to do it and Stirling paid $27,000.

“To add insult to injury the new awning has been made using metal recycled from the old one, some of which is rusted.

“It’s a joke, I’m lodging an FOI so I can examine the tender process—under regulations at least three contractors should provide quotes.”

Andrew McIlroy owns Rock Inn in Mr Zimmerman’s building: with no awning for three months over summer he put black tarp over windows to stop guitars warping.

“Some people thought we were closed,” he says.

“It will cost me at least $7500 for new signs and drapes to fit the replacement awning.”

Kevin’s Deli landlord Aniello Pizzolante is also unhappy after being billed $12,000 for a replacement awning.

Stirling council engineer Jon Offer says affected businesses were informed in June the council would pay to trim the awnings, but owners would have to pay half the cost “of rectifying defects that had arisen from a lack of maintenance”.

“In many ways [businesses are] fortunate that the bus lane project is underwriting much of their obligation to remediate a poorly maintained structure in their ownership,” he says.

“In the case of the awning to the Rock Inn, the structural engineer reported a critical defect which required either the immediate closure of the footpath or support props to the awning as the awning was structurally unsound and dangerous.

“The owner was advised the sheeting was capable of being reused and was offered the opportunity to have this replaced with new sheeting at an additional cost—he declined that offer.”

Mt Lawley Liberal MP Michael Sutherland says it is preposterous that landlords and shop owners should foot the bill for costs caused by public roadworks, especially given Stirling council reported a healthy surplus last year.

“This requirement came about as a result of a government road project,” he says.

“It is a basic tenet for all tiers of government that citizens do not get billed for costs imposed on them as a result of public works being undertaken.

“I have written to Stirling council and transport minister Dean Nalder requesting that the two government entities bear the costs of the work.”

Beaufort Street is being widened as part of a trial to create a bus route that will ultimately extend through Perth and to UWA and the QEII medical centre.

The year-long roadworks have irked some traders (“Trading pains,” Voice, March 29, 2014) who say it’s taking too long and costing them too much business.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK