Work starts to make fire-damaged Broadway Hotel safe

Brisbane City Council has given the owner of the Broadway Hotel an extension to shore up the fire-ravaged building, but one councillor says the exercise shows the council’s heritage protection rules are ‘too weak’.

WORK to stabilise the fire-ravaged Broadway Hotel is to be completed “in the coming weeks” after the owner failed to meet the 60 days required under a council enforcement notice.

Brisbane City Council issued an enforcement notice requiring the owner to secure the walls of the building and install support systems by February 29.

The landmark Broadway Hotel at Woolloongabba has been closed since the first of three major fires in 2010 caused extensive damage. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

A council spokeswoman said as a result of recent wet weather and delays obtaining a heritage exemption certificate from the State Government, the owner was expected to complete the required stabilisation works “in the coming weeks”.

“Council last inspected the site on Wednesday, 26 February where on-site works to comply with the Enforcement Notice are underway,” she said.

Asked to clarify the works carried out the spokeswoman said contractors had commenced a clean-up of the site including the removal of debris from lower levels.

She said the Council would continue to work with the owner of the Broadway Hotel to ensure all requirements of the Enforcement Notice were met.

“Council will continue to inspect the site to ensure works are occurring in accordance with the Enforcement Notice.”

The maximum penalty for non-compliance is $600,525.

Councillor Jonathan Sri (Gabba) said the improvements council claimed the owner was making did not go far enough to protect and restore the building and the site should be acquired by council and restored as a neighbourhood hub and performing arts venue.

“The hotel is still in a very poor state of repair. It’s exposed to the elements without a proper roof, and whenever it rains heavily, water gets down into the building foundations,” Cr Sri said.

“This whole saga shows that heritage protection rules in this city are too weak. Our heritage rules have been watered down to suit property developers, and it has become too easy for investors to engage in demolition by neglect, allowing significant buildings to deteriorate over time.”

Owner Malcolm Nyst did not return calls this week but last week told the South-East Advertiser he wanted to see the building retained and was working with council on a proposal, however that depended on the “structural viability of the project”.

Cr Jonathan Sri, Save The Broadway Campaign member Tonia Scholes and Gabba Hill Community Group organiser Rob Friend demand action in January last year. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Gabba Hill Community Group organiser Rob Friend said the works had not been undertaken and the owner should be fined.

“Apart from putting a container in there months ago and some removal of some iron there has been no substantial works in regard to shoring up the sides of the building or sticking a roof over the top of the building to protect the interior,” he said.

“Something needs to happen. If the owner doesn’t undertake the work required under the enforcement notice council ought to issue a breach notice and there would be a financial penalty and council should organise for that work to be undertaken and the cost of that work sought by the court.”

Extensive damage from several fires at the Woolloongabba hotel. AAP/Richard Walker