Two men fled ‘suspicious’ fire at Balmain Leagues Club site, police say

The fire that tore through the abandoned Balmain Leagues Club site on Saturday afternoon is being treated as suspicious after police reported two teenage boys were seen running from the area shortly after the incident.

Emergency services were called to Rozelle after reports of the fire at Victoria Road near Darling Street about 4.30pm on Saturday, finding the disused building engulfed in smoke and flames.

Wreckage of Balmain Leagues Club after the fire on Saturday.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Fire and Rescue NSW confirmed on Sunday morning that the fire was being treated as suspicious and police confirmed that after investigators returned to the scene on Sunday.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne described the fire in a tweet as “large and dangerous” and on Sunday tweeted that it “was no surprise”.

“The fire brigade have had to go out there regularly over the last couple of years. This is not the first fire,” Byrne told The Sun-Herald.

“They [Transport for NSW] have not responded at all to our concerns. We need this building demolished now; it’s a very unsafe place aside from the fires.”

“Since September 2020, the owners of the site have been unable to proceed with their development, which was approved by a state government appointed panel, and includes a new Wests Tigers Leagues Club,” Byrne tweeted.

The NSW government says it is going to compulsorily acquire the property to use it as a tunnelling site for the Western Harbour Tunnel, but “for two years they have not acted while refusing to allow the owner to demolish the building”, Byrne wrote.

The site has been vacant since 2010 when the NSW government announced plans to build a metro station in the area and the Balmain Leagues Club relocated to temporary venues in Homebush and Five Dock.

Transport for NSW said it “would be supportive of any steps the owners of the former Balmain Leagues Club site wish to undertake to ensure it is safe and secure while NSW Police and Fire and Rescue NSW conduct their inquiries”.

Plans for a $400 million development – including a rebuilt leagues club, 167 apartments, a town square and supermarket – were approved in 2020 but have since been delayed after Transport for NSW acquired the majority of the site last year on a seven-year lease to use as a dirt dump during the construction of the Western Harbour Tunnel.

However, Transport for NSW has not taken possession of the leased land from the owners as an agreed payment has yet to be determined by the NSW Valuer General.

Anyone who witnessed the fire, or who has dashcam footage from the nearby area, is urged to contact Leichhardt police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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