Page 3799 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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Public Accounts—Standing Committee—Report 7—Report on Annual and Financial Reports 2008-2009.
Gungahlin Drive extension—bridge collapse
Paper and statement by minister
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Land and Property Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage): For the information of members, I present the following paper:
Gungahlin Drive Extension Stage 2—Bridge collapse—Structural Engineer’s Report on the Collapse of Falsework, prepared by SMEC Australia for Roads ACT, dated 23 August 2010
I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the paper.
Leave granted.
MR STANHOPE: Mr Speaker, the technical report which I have now just tabled has been provided to WorkSafe ACT by Mr Tony Gill, Director of Roads ACT. I am tabling the report in the Assembly for the information of members. It has been released on the Department of Territory and Municipal Services website earlier today.
Following the collapse of the bridge on the Barton Highway, the Department of Territory and Municipal Services commissioned engineering consultants NEC Australia to undertake an independent investigation of the incident. The report will be considered, along with other information and reports collected by or prepared for WorkSafe ACT in undertaking their broader investigation of the incidents that led to the collapse of the Barton Highway Bridge on Saturday 14 August 2010.
While neither I nor the department will be publicly commenting on the report pending the WorkSafe investigation, we have thoroughly reviewed the processes covering the construction of similar works and had an independent engineer review the bridge being constructed using a different method at Belconnen. This NEC report identifies the possible cause of the bridge collapse, reviews design documentation and provides recommendations into the safe method of demolition work.
The independent report is now being presented to WorkSafe ACT, as one of the documents required to release the prohibition notice on the site. The other documents—a safe work methods statement and a demolition plan—have also been prepared by the bridge contractor Abergeldie and provided to WorkSafe ACT for approval for our demolition works to commence.
Subject to approval, it is expected that demolition work will commence on Wednesday 25 August and take up to seven days to complete. Works will focus on the removal of the collapsed bridge deck, with additional supports installed during demolition to avoid further collapse.
Abergeldie will undertake the work at their own expense, in conjunction with local demolition contractor Irwin and Hartshorn. A detailed inspection will then be required
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