Goulburn Mulwaree Council expresses safety concerns about former St John’s Orphanage
A long running history of safety concerns over a dilapidated orphanage in Goulburn has faced a new twist at the Goulburn Mulwaree Council meeting ahead of a looming court date.
The Bowral News
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Goulburn Mulwaree Council is continuing its efforts to see the former St John’s Orphanage demolished for safety reasons, due the site being abandoned and the subsequent vandalism and danger that has followed.
It was decided at Tuesday‘s council meeting that because the owner, who bought the property more than 20 years ago, has not yet complied with a recent order to demolish the main building (building A), that the order should be extended from January 31 to March 31.
The council’s director of environmental planning, Scott Martin, said with a building “as complex as this, there’s a lot of things that need to be considered”.
The owner, John Ferrara, told The Bowral News the size of the demolition job was a major issue.
“It’s too big a job – I’m currently working with people to do it,” Mr Ferrara said.
“It’s going to cost $300,000 – $500,000 and will be completed in the next month or so.”
He spoke of wanting to create 294 units on the site, saying he has been trying to organise the plan for six months. However no development application has been lodged.
The council is in the midst of a lawsuit against Mr Ferrara, alleging a lack of compliance for the three outbuildings (buildings B, C and D) which it says was meant to be completed by October 20, 2021.
The council is seeking to secure the right to demolish the site itself in the court.
The onus is currently on the owner to do so.
However, Mr Martin said the Land and Environment Court matter has had to take a back seat due to the council’s priority to first make certain amendments to the site.
“There are issues around site management, like a lack of signage and fencing. You can enter quite easily and it’s dangerous with things like broken glass and asbestos,” Mr Martin said.
“As we know it has also become a haven for behaviour the community does not wish to tolerate.”
The 1913 site, which holds historical significance, has been plagued with squatters and vandals who caused large-scale damage to the buildings, most extensively by fires in 2015 and 2016, a well as recently in June 2021.
The desolation and haunted history of the site has even inspired ghost tours.
“We want to ensure public safety is the priority, which has meant that the pending legal action council wants to take is behind,” Mr Martin said.
“We are trying to move quickly with the fencing and other arrangements.”
Mayor Peter Walker previously said that nearby residents were happy for the building to be demolished.
“I’ve spoken to locals nearby the orphanage, and I haven’t heard one person say ‘don’t knock it over’,” Cr Walker said.
“The history is gone and now it’s just a safety issue.”
The Bowral News also spoke to Inspector Mathew Hinton at The Hume Police District, about protecting the community from the site.
“We are concerned with people entering a dangerous site – there are health and welfare risks,” Inspector Hinton said.
“We haven’t seen many incidents there as of late, but I encourage anyone who sees someone in there to call the police.”
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