Cairns: Petition calls for burnt home on Sheridan St to be demolished after fire

A burnt-out eyesore along the city’s main tourist entry point has neighbours desperate for its demolition seven months after it went up in flames.

Chris Calcino

2 min read

February 25, 2022 - 6:00AM

The Cairns Post

Cairns

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A BURNT-OUT eyesore along the city’s main tourist entry point has neighbours desperate for its demolition seven months after it went up in flames.

The charred shell of an old Queenslander at 342 Sheridan St in Cairns North has remained standing since it was gutted by fire in July last year.

Landmark Gallery director Dean Vella and 23 nearby residents have signed a petition calling for Cairns Regional Council to remove the disfigured wreck.

“Our concern is the danger of the place flying apart in a storm,” Mr Vella said.

The blocks of land at 340-346 Sheridan St in Cairns North have sat dormant since an old Queenslander house on the land caught fire in July last year. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It’s not only for property but also for people and traffic on the road.”

The property was a known squat before the fire broke out – and a vacant neighbouring property is also regularly inhabited by itinerants.

“There’s another abandoned property next to it where they come and go, and the safety net fence is gone now,” Mr Vella said.

“They both used to be squats, and apparently there was a third one next door that burnt down a few years ago.

“One by one, they’re going up in smoke.”

All three properties are owned by Chinese-owned Billion Century Group, which has approvals in place to build seven-storey residential and hotel towers in their place.

The Cairns Post understands those plans – which include 65 units, 48 hotel rooms, 98 onsite carparks and a two-storey retail and commercial centre – have stalled since their approval in 2020.

Division 5 councillor Amy Eden said residents had grave security concerns about the anti-social behaviour happening in the area.

“There’s been requests for the CCTV trailer camera to be there to help with the petty crime that is occurring in and around that site,” she said.

She said the council’s planning department had assessed the building as structurally sound, but pointed out that appraisal only related to the Queenslander’s footings.

“It’s a cyclone risk because a lot of the sheeting is loose, but the assessment is done on the footing,” she said.

Mayor Bob Manning agreed the building had to go but made no assurances about the council’s role in its demolition.

“This has been a blight on the city for a long time. It should have been done ages ago,” he said.

Mr Vella has owned the building across the road for about 30 years, but only opened his own gallery in it just before Covid hit.

Prior to that it was home to UMI Arts, and even further back it was an airconditioning showroom, a sea shell shop and a second hand store called Steptoe’s.