Council Chambers on the nose
Wingecarribee Shire Council General Manager Jason Gordon is warning Councillors to bring nose pegs to next week’s Council meeting if the Civic Centre Council Chamber has not dried as a result of yesterday’s afternoon deluge.
“We’ve organised for wet vacuums and industrial heaters to dry carpets and fittings throughout the Civic Centre and Council Chambers to aid in mopping up the water we received on Monday afternoon,” he said.
The downpour of more than 30mm in less than 20 minutes allowed water to enter through the Civic Centre roof at numerous points including via the smoke alarm system, which subsequently triggered the building’s automatic emergency evacuation system.
“Whilst the sight of staff exiting the building in the pouring rain may have appeared comical, the downpour did highlight the dire condition of the Civic Centre.”
Council is currently proposing to undertake a renovation of its Elizabeth Street Civic Centre to rectify numerous deficiencies, including structural faults to the roof and brickwork to bring the building up to modern safety standards.
Other issues to be addressed under the proposed $5 million dollar refurbishment include upgrading the building’s security system, repairing windows and fixtures, rectifying the ageing air conditioning, installation of an accessible lift and fire protection systems and general replacement of carpets and painting.
“We saw by yesterday’s snap rainfall that the Civic Centre is in serious need of attention and if left in its current condition is fast approaching the end of its serviceable life,” Mr Gordon added.
“Asking our customers to sidestep puddles of water in our main foyer is far from satisfactory.”
Additional information on the Civic Centre refurbishment project can be found at: www.wsc.nsw.gov.au or via Council’s Business Services Team on phone 4868 0888.