Oswals’ ‘Taj on Swan’ finally demolished

The Perth council expects to recoup demolition costs and unpaid rates from Pankaj and Radhika Oswal.

The local council expects to recover demolition costs and unpaid rates from Pankaj and Radhika Oswal. Picture: AAP.

Perth’s “Taj Mahal on the Swan”, the unfinished, derelict mansion owned by Pankaj and Radhika Oswal, is finally being demolished.

The cost of razing the graffiti-daubed property in the affluent western suburb of Peppermint Grove is estimated to be $300,000, which the local council expects to recoup.

The job will take about three weeks to complete.

Although they still own the land, the Indian couple abandoned the ambitious project in 2011, a year after their Burrup Fertilisers empire collapsed and they left Australia.

Shire president Rachel Thomas said she was delighted to see the end of the eyesore, which has attracted antisocial behaviour and is now considered a dangerous structure.

“We’re very relieved that it’s finally starting,” she told AAP. “I’m so pleased that it’s got to this point.

“It’s a very big undertaking and is going to be disruptive in terms of truck movements and noise for the next three weeks, but I’m sure the neighbours will be happy to put up with that.

“They’ve had a pretty miserable couple of years with disturbances on the site.”

Ms Thomas said the council was optimistic the Oswals would pay back the costs. “We’ve had some discussions with the owners over the last couple of weeks and we think we’re nearly there with an agreement.

“If there are difficulties, we will pursue reimbursement through the normal channels as a debt.” She said the shire had also recently reached an agreement with the couple about unpaid rates.

“They will be paid in full, including penalties, by the end of October.” Ms Thomas said the Oswals wanted the demolition to go ahead, with the large, block of land likely to be divided into six lots.

“They have commissioned someone to give them advice on the most profitable way to dispose of it,” she said.

Youngsters Mitchell and Jack Johnston came to watch the spectacle on their school holidays after their father agreed to drive them from Canning Vale in Perth’s southern suburbs.

“We like watching stuff get destroyed,” Jack said.

AAP