The remediation of the abestos-contaminated former Tamworth Regional Council building is set to get underway, with a tender awarded this week to local business Rice Construction Group Pty Ltd for the first phase of the works.
Expected to take approximately 12 weeks, the first stage will involve stripping out the interior of the Ray Walsh House building below ceiling level.
This process will not pose a risk to the community, as the asbestos in the ceiling will not yet have been disturbed, the Council said in a statement today.
Council’s Chief People Officer, Marie Resch said it was “a relief” to have a timeline for the remediation works.
“Council has been working in partnership with NSW Public Works to work through the lengthy but necessary planning and compliance processes, but it’s great to now have these works beginning as we know the community have been keen to have an update,” she said.
“These remediation works are a necessary first step to ensure that Ray Walsh House has a future, whether this continues to be used as a Council facility or has a new purpose in the heart of Peel Street.”
The Council was forced to relocate staff from Ray Walsh House last year due to the failure of the building’s air conditioning system. The presence of friable asbestos in the form of fire proofing Vermiculite meant that the replacement of the air conditioning system was not possible without first removing the asbestos containing material.
NSW Public Works within the Department of Regional NSW were selected by Council in September 2022 to project manage the remediation works, who will be working closely with Rice Construction Group.
The cost for the initial 12-week phase is approximately $900,000, as funded in Council’s recently adopted 2023-24 Budget.
Councillors are expected to make a formal decision regarding the future of the building post its remediation.
