Dredging to unearth mystery of Myer flood after Hobart Rivulet wall collapsed
THE cause of a devastating flood at Hobart’s Myer redevelopment site will remain a mystery until about 3m-deep water is dredged from the construction site. CHECK OUT THE GALLERY AND VIDEO
Tasmania
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THE cause of a devastating flood at Hobart’s Myer redevelopment site will remain a mystery until about 3m-deep water is dredged from the construction site.
Authorities are still mopping up and assessing damage after the pre-dawn incident, which forced the closure of the city’s busiest shopping arcade.
Water rushed into the Murray St construction site when a wall that retains the flow of the Hobart Rivulet collapsed.
The structure above the rivulet wall also collapsed, ripping apart several retail premises in the popular Cat and Fiddle Arcade.
Hutchinsons Builders team leader Mick Connolly said the cause of the wall collapse could not be identified until the site had drained to allow structural engineers to investigate.
“We can speculate on what happened but the reality is that until we dry out the hole and visually inspect the area we really won’t know,” Mr Connolly said.
He said the work would be “slow and steady”, with safety the priority as the vast quantity of water was pumped out.
Despite the setback, he said the Hobart Myer development would get back on track.
“Ultimately, this will be part of the history of the site,” he said.
“We will complete the project.”
He said it was fortunate the accident had not led to any injuries.
“If there’s any good news, it’s that no one was hurt.”
Traffic was blocked from around the site in Murray and Liverpool streets and the Cat and Fiddle Arcade was closed to staff and the public.
About six other nearby stores were also closed because an electrical substation beneath the Myer site had flooded and left them without power.
Police and structural engineers have to determine when the Cat and Fiddle Arcade could reopen, although the most severely damaged shops will remain closed for some time.
Tasmania Police Inspector Adrian Bodnar said the arcade had been closed for public safety reasons, because the collapsed wall had ripped out a section of fire sprinkler system and compromised the entire fire detection and suppression network.
The ripped sprinkler system is what first alerted emergency services to the incident, because the outage was picked up by the Tasmania Fire Service, which alerted Tasmania Police at 5.45am.
“We are not aware of anyone being placed in danger at that time,” Insp Bodnar said.
Despite speculation the rivulet flooding was caused by recent heavy rains and snowmelt, Insp Bodnar said the definite cause would be unknown for some time.
Cat and Fiddle Centre manager Craig Bowman said it was likely the arcade would reopen on Thursday, following engineers’ assessments of the structural integrity of the building.
But he said four clothing stores would remain closed because of damage following the collapse of the rivulet wall. The closed shops include Portmans, which was the most severely damaged, Cue, Dotti and Jacqui E.
Mr Bowman said he could not speculate on the damage bill at this stage.
Despite the significant amount of water in the Myer site, the lower level shops in the Cat and Fiddle Arcade remained dry and unaffected.
CFMEU organiser Kevin Harkins said union safety officials were on site.
“We are doing everything in our power to get things up and running again,” he said.
Mr Harkins said it was fortunate no one was injured.
“It’s a sad day for the job and a sad day for the city, but no one has been injured,” he said.
About four pieces of expensive machinery were submerged in the flood, including excavators and a pile driver.
Small aluminium dinghies were on site to help examine the destruction from within the floodwaters.
Lush Cosmetics manager Danni Ridley, whose store is next to the Myer site, said it had been a shock when she arrived at work to see a wall in the Myer site crumbling.
“I got here at 8.45am and could see a brick wall and some metal had fallen in,” she said.
Ms Ridely said she was also surprised by the unusual sight of a boat parked outside her store in Murray St.
“There was a little boat parked out the front,” she said.
“I’ve never seen that before.”
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