Perth Voice Interactive

DEVELOPERS are being fined $500 a day over an inner-city site that resembles a rubbish dump.

Vincent city council CEO Len Kosova says some material “appeared to be surplus to the material from the demolition” and the site is being treated as an “unauthorised open air storage yard”— in other words, an illegal tip.

The identity of the builder wasn’t readily visible when the Voice visited the site at 283–285 Vincent Street — despite a legal obligation for such details to be signposted — but the trio that applied last year to develop the site are owner Gareth Lindegger, designer Doepel Marsh and builder Joe Scaffidi — who is married to Perth lord mayor, Lisa Scaffidi.

The site owner was instructed on Christmas eve to remove the rubbish: the council started issuing daily $500 fines January 8.

A near-neighbour told the Voice noisy workers have been on-site outside the approved hours of 7am to 7pm Mondays to Saturdays. Workers allegedly toiled through Christmas Day.

Mr Kosova confirms his staff had been sent “video and photos of works occurring outside the designated legal periods, particularly some very early starts on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, continuing for around two weeks after this”.

Mr Kosova says the work is prohibited under environmental protection regulations, and the footage and photos will be used as evidence to pursue this matter.

The Voice spotted some unorthodox traffic management practices on its own site visit: on Sunday January 10 (again, outside legal working hours) a worker blocked the street with traffic cones but ran out of them, so he rolled out wheelie bins to help block the street while backing a massive truck into the site, obstructing three lanes of traffic for several minutes.

Mr Kosova says the council’s reviewing that matter too, as all traffic works related to the demolition permit “need to comply with the relevant Australian standards, including the preparation of a traffic management plan and engagement of accredited traffic controllers”.

Mayor John Carey, who last year asked staff to look into getting tougher on inconsiderate builders who make a mess of surrounds, says “I do not understand how any company would allow work on Christmas day, if that is the case”.

He says instead of just roaring ahead, developers should “engage your neighbours, show respect, show courtesy and  work with them”.

“You have less problems, you work things out together, because it is a significant inconvenience in terms of noise and dust.

“It’s just basic commonsense and respect, but unfortunately I do get a growing number of complaints about developers in the city and we have to look at ways to make sure development companies show basic respect.”

by DAVID BELL