The remediation of Ray Walsh House is now just a few weeks away, with a tender awarded this week to local business Rice Construction Group Pty Ltd following a competitive tender process for the first phase of remediations works.
Expected to take approximately 12 weeks and begin in mid-July, the first phase will involve completely stripping out the interior of the 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.
There is not expected to be any significant disruption to traffic as the loading bays at Ray Walsh House will be utilised for the removal of materials. The works are not expected to impact community use of Peel Street, Kable Avenue or nearby footpaths, however the Kable Avenue car park adjacent to the building will be closed to the public and fenced off for use for the duration of these works.
Tamworth Regional Council’s Chief People Officer Marie Resch said that it was a relief to have the remediation works beginning in a few short weeks.
“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”, said Ms Resch.
Tamworth Regional Council was forced to relocate staff from Ray Walsh House in 2022 due to the failure of the building’s air conditioning system, which provided all heating, cooling and air circulation in three of the five floors. The presence of friable asbestos in the form of fire proofing Vermiculite meant that the replacement of this 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 this initial 12 week phase is approximately $900,000, as funded in Council’s recently adopted ‘Our Annual Plan and Budget 2023-24’.
Councillors are expected to make a formal decision regarding the future of the building post its remediation in the coming months.
