Kelmscott resident Stephanie O’Meagher says she wants to know how the City of Armadale is handling a demolition which began on Clifton Street earlier this month.
Ms O’Meagher said she was working from home when she saw an excavator being unloaded a few houses down from her.
“I was sitting in my office and I heard chainsaws then a big crash – obviously trees going down,” she said.
“Mid-morning, I went down to have a look.
“I was concerned that trucks were leaving the site with asbestos not properly disposed of.
“All (the excavator) did was grab the house and smash it.”
Ms O’Meagher said when she called the city, she was told a demolition permit had been approved and the contractor was a reputable company.
“I was trying to look for an identification on the truck and on the vehicles that were there but the trucks were all unmarked, as were the cars,” she said.
“That was my first concern – the asbestos.”
According to realestate.com, the house on the property was built in 1934.
On its demolition permit applications webpage, the city said structures built before 1990 may contain asbestos.
“It is hard to tell if a material contains asbestos by looking at it,” the city said.
“If the material was installed prior to 1990, treat it as though it does contain asbestos.
“In these circumstances, a completed demolition application asbestos declaration (DAAD) form must be submitted with your demolition application.”
The Examiner asked the city if a DAAD was completed and how it was guaranteeing the appropriate disposal of the toxic substance, but the city did not provide a response.
When the Examiner attended the site on Monday afternoon, there were no visible asbestos warning signs.
Ms O’Meagher said she walked further down the street and alleged city trees had been removed.
“I went into an absolute rage and rang the council,” she said.
“Then I rang my councillor and he jumped in his car and came straight down.
“I told them I was going to chain myself to the trees to stop any more carnage of the street.
“Two people arrived from the (city) and they went up with their notepads and took pictures – work was stopped at that time.”
According to the city’s tree vandalism webpage, trees weren’t removed unless absolutely necessary.
“As part of the city’s management practise, trees will only be considered for removal, under the following circumstances: dead, diseases, structurally unsound, obstructing an approved works program by either the city or utilities, causing ongoing damage to infrastructure and considered by the manager parks services to present an unacceptable level of risk to persons or property,” a city spokesperson said.
“For people, local governments and neighbourhoods, tree vandalism represents a real expense.
“It’s important that vandalised trees are inspected and appropriate action is taken which is a costly exercise especially if it involves the removal of a tree (or trees).”
The Examiner asked the City of Armadale questions about demolition permits, city trees allegedly felled as well as actions it was taking in relation to the event.
“Like many people in our community, the city places a high value on the preservation of trees and is currently seeking legal advice from its solicitors on the matter,” chief executive Joanne Abbiss said.
