Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne, has written to the NSW Government calling on it to replace the Ashfield-Leichhardt SES Building which he says is sinking due to its close proximity to the WestConnex tunnel.
The Mayor says the building has sunk approximately 10 centimetres, preventing fire escape doors from closing, causing broken plumbing pipes, damaged electrical wiring and causing roof leaks.
“This building was in good condition until the machinery boring the WestConnex tunnel began operating below the building,” Mr Byrne said.
“It’s now become a workplace health and safety issue which is an unacceptable risk for our SES volunteers.”
“The SES do an amazing job protecting our community. It’s shocking that they now need protection themselves from WestConnex destruction.”
He said the building’s kitchen door has been adjusted or repaired 10 times due to shifting of the building, while the front door is not able to be locked due to structural issues.
Most recently, a circuit breaker for the SES lights was tripped and will not reset, the Mayor said.
The Unit Commander of the Ashfield-Leichhardt SES, Peter Kaye has made the decision not to use the building, leaving the local SES group without a base in the area.
“Use of this building has been severely compromised,” Mr Kaye said.
Part of the building is also used as a clubroom by the Leichhardt Wanderers Rugby Union Club.
